Of Dreams and Stardust
by GinaDarling
Summary: Izzy wanted a fresh start and someone who could cure her feelings of being on the outside looking in. Caspian wanted revenge. Neither one expected it to happen like this. Set during PC, Movieverse minus the Suspian stuff because Disney made that up.
1. Chapter One

**Disclaimer: I own _The Chronicles of Narnia_! ((Sees angry Disney representatives and publisher.)) …in a full anthology in C.S. Lewis's preferred order! Obviously, no matter how I wish differently, I do not own _Narnia _or any of the characters besides the ones you don't recognize. This story is written strictly for entertainment value and I am in no way receiving monetary compensation for writing it.**

**Author's Note: Here's to all my fellow fans that read the books and therefore hate Suspian pairings. Or those who don't mind Suspian and just enjoy the occasional Caspian/OC. I'll drink to that. Let's see if I can do this without adding another icky Mary Sue to our lovely FanFiction dot net.**

**This chapter's mostly to get to know the main character. The next one will be a lot more interesting, promise. Please review! Constructive criticism is welcome! But be aware that if you flame you won't get a response. . Anyways, enjoy.**

Chapter One: The Move, the House, and the Wardrobe

To be completely honest, I didn't really mind moving an entire ocean away from everything and everyone I knew. It was actually kind of a relief. I mean, besides never seeing my best friends, there was no down side. When you grow up in a state like New Jersey and in a town like mine, it all gets very old very fast. Everything was just so…similar. Don't get me wrong, now. It's not like I'm one of those kids with holes all over my face and chains hanging from one ear to the other- not that there's anything wrong with that, if you're into that kind of thing; a few of my friends spend more time in piercing parlors than they did in school- but the way things were taught in my town and, in particular, my high school, just left little room to move around.

Despite not having the stereotypical outward appearance of an outcast, I really was one. I got along fine with pretty much everyone, and teachers adored me most of the time. My grades were always in the upper B range and I was everyone's favorite confidante. The problem was that even though I seemed to be so involved in high school life, I favored the world inside my head to the world around my desk. Personally, if I weren't myself, I would probably think that I was extremely strange. Simply put, I'm a total space case. I can go through an entire period without hearing a word the teacher says, because I'll be too busy imagining a world where I'm married to Ryan Reynolds or something. I mean, come on, what girl wouldn't rather be honeymooning with Ryan than learning calculus? Anyway, the tendency I have to mentally "go on vacation," as my Italian teacher would say, gives me a sense of being not all there, if you know what I mean. Not that I could help it. Formal education has always been second to the thoughts in my mind; even the paltry ones like how hot Milo Ventimiglia looks on _Heroes_. But I digress.

The point was, I was thankful for a new start. Hopefully, I would be able to finally break down the glass bubble that separated me from the rest of the world. Maybe I would find the kindred spirit I'd been looking for. You know, the Ron Weasley to my Harry Potter or the Merry to my Pippin. As you can probably tell, I spend way too much time with my nose in books or my eyes glued to the TV screen. It's all part of my preference for the unattainable and fantastic. In other words, I'd much rather watch_ Charlie and the Chocolate Factory _(you know, the 2005 version with Johnny Depp?) fourteen times than consider my own not-so-fairytale life. I'm getting off topic again.

Anyways, even after the tearful goodbyes shared with my two closest friends (Dana and Jo are their names) and a long and restless airplane trip during which I got a bad headache and snapped at my parents even when they were just trying to help, I was happy to arrive at the huge old house that was to be my new home.

After all, I'd always dreamed of living in England.

"It's…big." My mom wasn't a fan of big things. They made her very uncomfortable, and so I guess standing in front of the mansion-sized house we were going to live in was making her down right nervous.

"I love it!" I piped up for my dad's benefit. I mean I did like it, but not as much as I was pretending to. The house was, as Mom had pointed out, huge, and it was also really old. I imagined it had lived through a world war or two. But it was still a sort of family property. Dad had inherited it from some great uncle years ago, and so he had some pride in it. It also made it much easier for us to move when he was transferred, because we already had a place to live. My dad was in the army, which meant we moved a lot. The longest we'd ever stayed anywhere was the four years in New Jersey- just long enough for me to get close to Jo and Dana. And then, of course, we had to move again.

My dad grinned. "I knew you'd like it, Puppy." I flinched at the nickname. Not that I minded it all that much; as long as he didn't say it in public it was okay. Unfortunately, letting him use it in private put him in enough practice to accidentally slip once in a while. I forced a smile and shifted the strap of my messenger bag further up on my shoulder. Dad put an arm around Mom, who was still gaping at the monstrous building. "Don't worry, honey. You'll get used to it." Leading my speechless mother up the steps, he pulled a shiny new key from his pocket (he'd had the locks redone before we even started packing to leave) and opened the door.

I grabbed my two suitcases and followed them inside, dropping the two bags as soon as I was over the threshold. It was unbelievable. A grand staircase was in the middle of the room, red carpeted, and lead up to a landing that branched into two hallways, one to the left and one to the right. All of the intricate wooden carvings and beautiful mahogany floors were polished to a shine. I knew my father had hired a cleaning crew to precede the moving men, but I had no idea he'd paid them _that_ much. I walked further into the room and looked to my right, where a door-less archway led into a living room (I knew it was a living room because our couches and entertainment system were already set up. Exactly how much had Dad spent on the moving crew?). On the left was a set of beautiful double doors.

"Through there is the dining room," my dad explained, pointing to the doors. "Up and to the right is the master bedroom, and your room is down the left hallway, Pup."

"What about the rest of the floors?" I asked. I knew that the house was way too big to only consist of the two stories.

"I only have the first two wired for electricity." He looked up at the ceiling contemplatively. "Didn't think we'd really need the other three floors, or the attic. There might be some interesting stuff up there, but you'd better be careful if you go exploring, Isabella." The use of my full name got my attention. "The house is stable enough, but we can't forget that it is almost a hundred years old. Probably more."

"You got it, Dad. I'll be careful of the ghosts and skeletons." I started up the stairs, letting my left hand rest on the smooth banister as I ascended.

"Very funny, Iz," he replied. I didn't answer, but instead focused my thoughts on my current mission: locate and inspect my bedroom. After I reached the landing, I started down the left hallway as directed. The first door was on my left. I tried the knob, which turned easily enough, but the door itself was stuck, probably from years of disuse and swelling from moisture. A few feet down the hall was another door on the right that lead into a room full of old dusty furniture covered in sheets like you always see in old houses in movies. I closed that door and kept going. The next door on the left lead into a bathroom that I assumed wasn't going to be used since it hadn't been cleaned. Across the hall a door opened with a little difficulty into a tiny room that was empty and had no windows. I raised my eyebrow at nothing as I backed out. I proceeded to the fifth door, which was also on the right, and this time found what I was looking for. The heavy wooden door opened into a decently sized room in which the wall to my right was mostly taken up but a huge four-poster bed with a freshly washed white canopy. There was another door at the foot of the bed. The far wall had a big bay window complete with a window seat in between two smaller, regular windows. The wall to the right accommodated my computer desk and bookshelves.

I walked further into the room and threw my messenger bag onto the bare mattress on my bed. The floor was littered with cardboard boxes I would need to unpack sooner or later. When I turned around I saw that my dresser was against the wall to the right of the door into the hall. To the left of the door stood a huge antique wardrobe that looked like it had seen better days. I walked over to it and tried one of the doors experimentally, only to have it snap off its hinges and fall with a crash to the floor. I screamed and jumped back in alarm and a few moths fluttered out from the mass of fur coats still inhabiting the wardrobe.

"Are you all right?" My father's worried voice came from the doorway. I looked over at him. He'd brought up the two suitcases I'd left downstairs and had arrived in time to witness one of my less suave moments.

"I'm fine," I assured him when I'd regained my breath. "Just surprised me, that's all." I looked back at the towering piece of furniture. It gave me a weird feeling in the pit of my stomach, like it really didn't want to be used. I dismissed it as my runaway imagination. The feeling was probably just an aftershock of almost getting crushed by the heavy door.

Dad put my suitcases down by the bed and came over to inspect the damage. He tried the other door with the same result, although the years of army training had provided him with slightly better reflexes and more well developed muscles, so he merely caught it and leaned it against the wall. He picked up the one on the ground and did the same, then pushed the old coats to the side so he could reach into the back and tap the wood. There was a loud crack. "Well, I had hoped it might be of some kind of use, but it obviously isn't," he concluded as he straightened up.

"Why is it even here?" I asked, taking down a coat that was much too large and trying it on experimentally.

"The guys who moved our stuff in said it was in the room when they got here," Dad explained. "The fellow I spoke to said that no matter how hard they tried, they couldn't get it out of here. They had to settle with pushing it up against the wall. I wonder why it didn't break when they were handling it…" He took down the rest of the coats while I twirled around in the one I was wearing and then held it closed and put my nose in the air.

"Well, Father," I said with a nasal British accent, "it's a positively beastly old thing and I must insist that it be removed at once." I laughed lightly and shrugged out of the coat, handing it to Dad.

"It's too bad," he said, arranging the pile in his arms. "You have too much clothing to fit in your dresser and this room doesn't have a closet."

I gave him a confused look and pointed to the door at the end of my bed. "Then what's that?"

"That," he smiled, "is your bathroom."

My eyes widened and a huge grin spread across my face. "I have my own bathroom!?" I squealed.

"Yep."

"Oh my God! Thank you Daddy!" I jumped at him with a hug and he stumbled backwards, awkwardly returning it around the huge coats. He laughed.

"I knew you'd like that, too. I only had two of the bathrooms up here cleaned and set up for plumbing- yours and the one off of our room. They're both full bath so I figured we wouldn't need more than that." I stepped back, still grinning. "Of course, there's also two set up downstairs so we don't have to run up here while watching TV." He shifted the coats in his arms and started towards the door. "I'm going to see what I can do about that wardrobe. The wood's still decent even if it's not holding together on it's own. There's a small room next door so I might be able to build you a closet."

"Can the whole room be my closet!?" I rocked back and forth on my heels in excitement.

My dad shrugged. "I don't see why not. It would save me the trouble of building walls."

"Hardcore! I can't wait."

Dad just laughed. "I'll just leave you to start settling in. Stay away from that wardrobe for now. I don't need it falling over on top of you or something."

I put my feet together and raised my hand to my forehead in a mock salute. "Yes, sir!"

"At ease, soldier!" he finished our little joke, then left the room, probably to show the coats to Mom to see if she wanted to keep any of them before he put them into storage or whatever. Closing the door, I turned around to survey the many boxes o' junk that were piled around my room, trying to decide where to start. With a mournful sigh, I walked over to my suitcases, plopped them down on my bed next to my messenger bag, and started to unload my clothes into the drawers in my dresser. I figured I'd unpack what I could until my dad had rigged me up a closet, because he was ultimately right- I had way too many articles of clothing. Not like I'm some kind of crazy shopping fiend or anything, it's just that after living seventeen years, some of which you've remained relatively the same shirt and pant size, you accumulate a lot of clothes. I was kind of short myself, so my pants never got too short after I hit about fourteen, and having a family history of chubbiness, my weight fluctuated in such a way that my shirts and dresses only ever got a little too baggy- never too small.

And of course, I'm a teenage girl, so I do like to shop once in a while.

After I stuffed what I could of my clothes into my five drawers, I slid the two empty suitcases, a half full cardboard box, and two more full boxes under my bed and got started on my books. I had two large bookshelves on either side of my desk. Only one and a half of them was actually for holding books, the last half would hold all the DVDs and VHS tapes I'd collected throughout my life since childhood (So I still like to watch _Cinderella_ every once and a while. Sue me!).

By the time I'd finished with that it was starting to feel pretty stuffy in my room. I walked over to open one of the smaller windows, and breathed in the crisp country air. I've gotta say, there really is something wonderful about living a couple of miles from the nearest city. The air just feels less dense and tastes glorious. Not to mention, the view from my room was a lovely one of the overgrown garden behind the house. There was something about the way the flowers and vines grew wild that I found incredibly attractive. I was sure I'd be fighting my mom later to let it stay the way it was. She liked orderly things, which was why she didn't come into my room very often. Even my bookshelves bothered her (I don't keep mine in alphabetical order, like she prefers, but in order of what I like most to what I like least. It drives her nuts.).

Anyway, the view was pretty much gorgeous. I opened the other window so the air had somewhere to flow, and soon the musty smell was replaced with a mixture of rain and roses (it had drizzled a little while I was unpacking my clothes). The next thing I did was set up my iHome on my bedside table, kicking myself for not doing it sooner. Work is always easier to do when there are some good tunes to sing along to. I plugged in my iPod and put it on shuffle, then continued to unload more electronic devices to the bittersweet tune of Vanessa Carlton. I sang along in a loud voice as I set up Ol' Faithful (my extremely old IBM ThinkPad that I'd had for four years and was a hand-me-down from my cousin who was 28 and got it while he was in college). I patted the many Hello Kitty and Disney princess stickers that adorned her fondly before getting down on my hands and knees to plug her in to the Internet jack and electrical outlet. When I had done that I fired 'er up and then made my bed while I waited. You have to be patient when your computer is old enough to be considered a veteran. As I was laying my white down goose feather comforter across my Sailor Moon sheets, I heard the little musical interlude that meant my computer had finished loading, under Train's melodic beat.

I crossed the room to my computer and sat down in the squat little puff of a chair that the movers had obviously snatched from one of the spare rooms. "Here goes nothing," I muttered, and clicked on the little yellow man icon that would open up my instant messenger. To my surprised and delight, the Internet was fully functional. Score one for team Izzy! Before my buddy list had even finished loading, I was bombarded with six messages from Dana.

**Dana Calamity**: iz!?

**Dana Calamity**: are you there!?

**Dana Calamity**: how is it!?

**Dana Calamity**: what's the house like?!

**Dana Calamity**: how about your room??

**Dana Calamity**: is it totally sunless over there!?

I laughed to myself. She was always very excitable. That, and she loved England almost as much as I do and was pretty jealous that I got to live there.

**I Am What I Iz**: whoa. chillax, dana! gimme a chance to talk!

**Dana Calamity**: okay, okay, sorry. i'm just so happy you're online. isn't it like 3am there or something?

**I Am What I Iz**: there's only a five hour difference. and you're behind me.

**Dana Calamity**: oh.

**I Am What I Iz**: yeah but anyways, yes i'm here, it's okay, the house is huge and old but the cleaners did a good job, my room is big and has a great view, and yeah pretty much. it was raining a little before.

**Dana Calamity**: omgzzz. you're so lucky. you have to go see john lennon's grave for me.

**I Am What I Iz**: dana, i'm like…30284032984832 miles away from any kind of civilization. i doubt i'm anywhere near john lennon's grave.

**Dana Calamity**: well, if you get the chance…

**I Am What I Iz**: i'll be sure to kiss the headstone for you.

**Dana Calamity**: and i will be forever in your debt.

**I Am What I Iz**: it's okay.

**I Am What I Iz**: you'll just owe me your firstborn.

**Dana Calamity**: you got it.

**Dana Calamity**: so what did you break so far?

**I Am What I Iz**: how did you know!?

**Dana Calamity**: psychic. and you're a walking disaster.

**I Am What I Iz**: hey!

**Dana Calamity**: like a bull in a china shop.

**I Am What I Iz**: you're the worst.

**Dana Calamity**: you can have my second-born too. so what was it? a statue? a chandelier? the whole house?

My fingers hesitated over the keys and I watched the cursor blink in the text box. For some strange reason, I didn't want to tell Dana about the wardrobe, which was nuts because I told her absolutely everything. Still, I felt weirdly possessive of the massive deathtrap. It was like a secret that was all mine, even though my dad clearly knew all about it and my mom probably did by now as well. Shaking the unreasonable apprehension out of my mind, I answered her question.

**I Am What I Iz**: this weird old wardrobe in my room.

**I Am What I Iz**: i opened the door and it almost took me out.

**Dana Calamity**: the door?

**I Am What I Iz**: yeah. it fell right off the hinges.

**Dana Calamity**: LOL

**I Am What I Iz**: shut up! it was a very frightening near death experience.

**Dana Calamity**: i'm sure. that wardrobe hunted izzy down! that wardrobe MURDERED izzy!

**I Am What I Iz**: all right dane cook, i need to go hunt down some food now.

**Dana Calamity**: awwww okay.

**Dana Calamity**: bye lovie!! i miss and love you more than anything!!

**I Am What I Iz**: love and miss you too. ttyl. 3

I Am What I Iz is Away at 2:36 PM

**Dana Calamity**: 3!

**Auto Response from I Am What I Iz**: searching for food and waiting for the jet lag to catch up with me. l8r sk8r!

I would have to remember to change the time setting, since I was in a different time zone and all. I stood up and stretched my arms towards the ceiling, then walked out into the hallway, my stomach begging for sustenance. I yawned as I descended the stairs. The dining room doors were open now, and inside I could see that our dining set was already set up, the table at its full length, and a dark maroon tablecloth adorned it. The china cabinet was against the wall to the left, and there was a big bay window similar to mine on the far wall, only this one didn't have a window seat. I crossed to the wall on the right and walked through a swinging door that, as I had guessed, lead into the kitchen, which was huge, just like everything else that had to do with this house; it had obviously been used by a whole staff of cooks and servants at some point.

Mom stood at the counter making sandwiches. She looked up when I walked in and smiled at me. "We only had roast beef, so I made you some PB&J."

"Beast. Thanks Mom." I shuffled over to accept my sandwich. I took a big bite and leaned against the island. "What do you think of the house so far?"

"It's big."

"Thanks Obvious-Taichou. I mean other than that." I swallowed and took another bite.

"Izzy, you know I don't understand any of your Chinese mumbo-jumbo. And take smaller bites! You're going to choke yourself."

I finished chewing and swallowing before I answered. "It's Japanese, Mom. And it means Captain Obvious." I took an exaggeratedly big bite and batted my eyelashes.

Mom just rolled her eyes. "I suppose it's all right. The woodwork is beautiful and the bedroom is nice."

"Tha' beh-ah," I commended through my mouthful of peanut butter and jelly.

"Don't talk with your mouth full," she scolded in a flat voice. She berated me for the little things so often that she obviously didn't really care anymore.

"Yes'm." My mouth was still full.

I finished eating in silence while Mom kept making sandwiches. She was making a couple for tomorrow, I guessed, because she was putting them up in Saran wrap. I fought to keep my eyelids open as I watched the methodic movement of her hands spreading mayo on bread. I yawned, and decided to admit defeat. "I'm gonna hit the hay. Night, Mom." I walked over to kiss her on the cheek. "Love you."

"Night baby. Love you too." She didn't look up from her work, but she did smile.

I left the kitchen and walked back through the dining room, almost colliding with my dad as I walked through the double doors.

"Woops, sorry Pup," he said, grabbing my shoulders to keep me from losing my balance. I actually did that quite a lot.

"You better get in the kitchen quick," I said. "Mom's making enough sandwiches to feed the Navy."

"Is she?" Dad laughed. "Well you know your mother. When she's stressed, she cooks, and all we have is bread and cold cuts right now."

"Yeah, I know, but if you don't do something I'm afraid she'll never stop." I put my arms around his middle and gave him a hug that he returned. "Night Dad."

"Night, sweetheart."

I walked past him and took the stairs two at a time, anxious to get in bed. Once in my room, I changed quickly into a huge tee shirt that reached my knees and slid between the sheets, reaching up to turn off the light on my bedside table as I laid back. Even in a strange bed in a strange house in a strange place, I fell asleep before I could finish the cute little nighttime prayer I'd been saying since I was little. "Now I lay me down to sleep. I pray the Lord my soul to keep. And if I…if I…" Then there was nothing but peaceful sleep. I only had one dream that night, about a wardrobe with no back, through which I crawled and crawled but could never find an end.

**There you are! Chapter one! I hope you liked it, even though it's pretty much just an intro to Izzy's character. I'll have chapter two out soon, and things will start taking off, I promise! Please review. I love feedback!**


	2. Chapter Two

**Author's Note: Yay, it's chapter two! I've been working on this since I woke up this morning at like…10. I actually started it last night at midnight but, y'know, I gotta sleep sometime! Before I get started, I'd like to thank Sky-Pirate625 and Queen O' Randomness for their supportive reviews. Feedback is always appreciated, and it's always nice to know what my readers think of my work. So, thanks, and on with the story!**

Chapter Two: The Farthest Fall

Have you ever gotten that feeling when you're on vacation and you wake up in the hotel room or whatever and for a split second you panic because you don't remember where you are? That's what happened to me when I woke up on my first morning in my new home. After a second or two of imagining the worst (HAVE I BEEN KIDNAPPED!?) I remembered where I was and I could enjoy the way the morning sun reflected off of the white comforter and canopy, casting a happy glow on the rest of the room.

I forced myself out of bed, wondering what time it was because I couldn't read the clock on my iHome from across the room. My glasses were in my messenger bag on the floor. I wasn't dependant on them at all, but I was a little nearsighted and needed them to make out, say, what's on the blackboard if I'm sitting at the back of the class. I wandered over to Ol' Faithful and cast a glance at the time as I sat down. 9:43. Great. I had gotten up about three hours earlier than I usually did during the summer. I blame the jet lag. That was the reason why I had to go to sleep so early.

Waking up my computer with a jerk of the mouse, I decided to do a little of the usual screen name stalking (reading profiles and away messages over and over again). Dana had some Superchick lyric in her away message. Nathan, the kid I'd had a giant crush on since sophomore year and was kind-of-sort-of-dating-but-he-didn't-want-to-label-it, was actually online. I counted back in my head- it was four in the morning in New Jersey. He was always on at all hours of the morning, watching the entire run of Adult Swim twice while he played World of Warcraft. Holding my breath, I clicked the "I'm Back" button on my away message box and waited to see if my newly present status would gain his attention.

**Nate the Great**: Hey, beautiful.

Success! Did I mention that I'm the only person who calls him by his full first name? I'm the only one he lets call him Nathan. Isn't that adorable?

**I Am What I Iz**: good morning. :

**Nate the Great**: What are you doing up so early?

He's also completely obsessed with using impeccable grammar, even in an instant message conversation. He even does it in text messages.

**I Am What I Iz**: its almost 10 over here.

**Nate the Great**: Like I said, what are you doing up so early? Shouldn't you still be asleep for another three hours?

**I Am What I Iz**: you know me too well.

**I Am What I Iz**: i went to bed early last night.

**I Am What I Iz**: jet lag.

**Nate the Great**: Ah. I see.

**I Am What I Iz**: so what are you up to?

**Nate the Great**: Just watching Adult Swim and playing WoW.

I knew it.

**I Am What I Iz**: as always.

**I Am What I Iz**: what are you going to do with the rest of your day?

**Nate the Great**: Rachel is coming over later. We're going to hang out for a while.

My heart sank a little. Rachel was Nathan's ex-girlfriend who he insisted he was just friends with now. It seemed like he spent more time with her than he did with me even when I was actually able to hang out with him. Then again, when we did hang out it was pretty heated, if you know what I mean. I'd had to force his hands out from under my shirt a few times.

**Nate the Great**: Then we're going to go see that new Hulk movie.

My heart hit the floor. He was supposed to see that movie with me…well, before the moving date had been moved up and I had to leave before we could. Now he was going to see it with her. Awesome. He could at least have had the decency to leave that little detail out.

**I Am What I Iz**: sounds like fun.

**Nate the Great**: Yeah.

There was a long pause where neither of us said anything. I waited anxiously for him to say something, knowing that he tended to get annoyed when I messaged him too much.

**Nate the Great**: You know what, I have to go. I'm kind of busy.

Busy? Doing what? Watching an episode of Futurama that you've seen ten times? My mood dropped further than my heart had.

**I Am What I Iz**: oh. okay. i'll talk to you later then.

**I Am What I Iz**: miss you.

**Nate the Great**: Yeah.

**Nate the Great**: Bye.

**Nate the Great Signed Off at 4:55 AM**

I closed the IM window sadly and powered down Ol' Faithful, knowing she probably needed a rest after I'd forgotten to turn her off last night. My stomach growled, and I decided to go in search of food again. I shuffled over to my dresser and opened the top drawer, pulling out a pair of pink pajama bottoms with Tinkerbell on them. I pulled them on and shoved my feet into a pair of fluffy black socks that were extremely comfy but so slippery that I had to be very careful when I wore them. I mean it was loads of fun to go sliding across the floor in them when I actually meant to but being the klutz that I am, I tended to slip and fall a lot more often.

When I walked out into the hallway, the door to the little room next to mine was open and I could hear banging coming from within. I padded over and leaned against the doorframe to watch as my dad hammered shelves into place on the opposite wall. Boy, he liked to start early. He'd probably been at it since seven o'clock. I could sleep through anything. He already had a bar running across the wall to my right and a rough outline of where the door was going to be on the left hand wall. Another bar ran from the penciled outline to the corner where the wall met with the one Dad was currently equipping with shelves. I walked into the room to look around a bit and saw that he'd found an old vanity and put it against the wall to the right of the door into the hall, and a squat little bookshelf was sitting to the left of said door. I grinned. Perfect for my shoes.

"Good morning, Iz!" Dad said, noticing my presence for the first time.

"Morning Dad," I replied, turning around so I was facing him. He was wearing his usual work clothes: an oil stained white tee shirt and some old ratty Wrangler jeans. "I see you've been a busy little bee."

He reached up to wipe the sweat from his brow with the back of his right hand, with which he was holding the hammer. "It's supposed to be a surprise." He gave me an accusing stare, like I should have known.

"How was I supposed to know that?" I crossed my arms. "You look bloody awful." I volleyed back in my infamous fake London drawl.

"I've been working on this since seven and there aren't any windows in here, so excuse me if I'm not quite up for tea yet."

I stuck my tongue out at him.

"Get out of here, would you? And don't come back upstairs until I'm done." He waved his hands at me in a shooing motion.

Deciding to treat him to a little accented attitude, I whined, "Foine," and then turned around and marched out of the room with my nose in the air. As I got to the landing, I heard the door to my future closet close. I laughed loudly to myself, mostly just to hear it echo off of the high ceiling, and skipped down the stairs. I was tempted to slide down the banister, but then I remembered that I was me and thought better of it.

Mom was sitting at the dining room table munching on toast and reading her latest romance novel. I greeted her with a cheerful "Good morning, Starshine!" as I passed her to get to the kitchen. We had a really old fashioned refrigerator. It was, like, the first fridge ever made or something. I pulled it open carefully, thinking of the last time I'd opened the door of something that was left in the house. Luckily, the door to the fridge was a lot sturdier than the doors to the wardrobe had been.

"Let's see," I muttered to myself as I surveyed my selections, "peanut butter and jelly, peanut butter and jelly, or peanut butter and jelly?" I grabbed a sandwich. "I think I'll go with peanut butter and jelly." I poked around in the fridge a little more hoping to find milk, but since no one had gone into town yet we only had the bottled water that we'd flown in with. With a sigh, I grabbed one and kicked the door shut as I left. "The earth says "hello!"" I finished the quote as I passed my mother again. She just sighed, used to my tendency to quote _Charlie and the Chocolate Factory_. I couldn't help it, really. When you've watched it as many times as I have, it just sort of happens.

I dragged my feet as I crossed the foyer into the living room. I was thinking about Nathan; how much I missed him, how badly I wished I could see him, how much it sucked that he spent so much time with Rachel. Sitting down on the couch, I decided to experiment with the channels on the TV to try and get my mind off of my wayward would-be boyfriend. I started at channel two and kept going up until I found something familiar. _Sense and Sensibility_ was playing on some random British version of Pay Per View. I always loved to watch that movie because it reminded me of my older sister Jen. Did I forget to mention her? Well, she was 25 and living in Michigan where she worked teaching theater to little kids. So cute. Anyway, my sister and I agreed that we pretty much were the two main characters; she was Elinor and I was Marianne.

The movie was at a pretty early spot. Colonel Brandon had just entered the plotline and was watching Marianne play the piano. I cracked open my water bottle as I watched and took a long drink from it before setting it down on the coffee table so I could unwrap my sandwich and start eating. I settled into the couch, lounging across it on my back (the couch was perpendicular to the entertainment system, so the television was at my feet) as I started in on my sandwich.

After I finished my breakfast, I drank down what was left of the water to clear the peanut butter from my mouth (it really does stick to the inside of my cheeks!). Then I laid back on the couch to watch the rest of the movie. I contemplated running up to get my glasses, as the picture was a little fuzzy, but remembered that I wasn't allowed to go upstairs and decided to just deal with it. Before long I was fighting to keep my eyelids open again and yawning more than I was breathing. It was weird that I was still tired, but I guess it was the lack of coffee in my system. I drifted in and out of consciousness while I watched the movie.

At one point, as I woke up, I suddenly felt like there was something very important I needed to do. I stood up, ignoring the TV, and left the room. I took the stairs two at a time and walked down my hallway. There was silence coming from the room my dad was working in. At the back of my mind I registered that it was strange, but didn't think on it more than that. I walked right past my bedroom door and down to the end of the hall where there was another staircase leading up to the third floor. I ascended them, letting my fingers trail through the dust on the banister as I went. There was a twist at the top of the stairs that opened into a larger hallway than the ones on the floor below.

I started down the hallway with a sense of strange determination, as if I knew exactly where I needed to go, which was weird because I'd never been in that corridor before in my life. I passed by several doors before I decided to open one. The heavy oak door swung open easily and I walked into a big empty room with only one piece of furniture against the opposite wall: a big old wardrobe that looked exactly the same as the one I'd broken in my bedroom. The door swung closed behind me with a soft click as let go of it and walked into the room. The wardrobe in front of me seemed to be not quite as old as the one downstairs, and also looked more like a good place to hide than a huge wooden deathtrap.

A thrill ran through my veins, a mixture of fear and excitement like you get when you need to move fast to get a good hiding place when you're playing hide and seek. I moved across the room quickly and opened the doors. It held a mass of fur coats, just like the one in my room. I thought it was weird that there were two wardrobes that were pretty much exactly the same in the same house. It was too bad my dad had already started to build that closet. If we'd known this was here we could have just brought it down for me to use.

Suddenly, as if I remembered someone was looking for me, I parted the coats and stepped into the wardrobe. It smelled musty, but I closed the doors almost all the way so I could still see the room if I put my eye up to the crack. Silently, I backed up, thinking that if I could just get behind all those fluffy fur coats, I wouldn't be found even if someone opened up the doors and looked inside.

As I moved backwards and out from between the coats, I was thinking about how much the static was going to make my hair stick up all over the place.

That's probably why I didn't realize that I'd stepped backwards off the edge of the wardrobe's bottom until I was falling. It wasn't a fast, frightening sort of falling; it was more like the slow peaceful kind, like when you jump into a pool and you sink to the bottom. I closed my eyes. For some reason I wasn't surprised at all to be falling into a bottomless void at the back of a wardrobe. I felt completely calm, probably calmer than I did when I was doing something normal like read or sunbathe. A tingling sensation danced through my veins; a kind of tugging at my skin that wasn't unpleasant. I let my arms spread out, the air flowing between my splayed fingers. For the first time in years I was totally at peace.

"Isabella." A deep male voice called my name. It wasn't scary or creepy. The voice actually made me feel…happy. Legitimately content. "It is time to wake up, dear one."

"But I don't want to," I mumbled.

"Isabella…" The voice was not as deep this time. "Izzy…Isabella!" I opened my eyes. My dad was standing over me. I sat up and looked around, realizing that I was lying on the couch and the TV was still on, playing some obscure British independent film.

I yawned and rubbed the sleep from my eyes. There was something very important about the dream I'd had, but the events of it were slipping away. I couldn't remember what had happened. "How long was I out for?"

"A couple of hours." I noticed that Dad was freshly showered. I perked up and scrambled to my feet.

"Is my closet finished!?" I asked excitedly.

"Yep." He grinned proudly. My dad was one of those people who, once he'd started a project, couldn't stop until it was finished.

"Yay!" I rushed past him, excited to see the finished product.

"What, no thank you?"

"Thanks!" I called over my shoulder, scaling the stairs in record time. I rushed down the hallway and into my room, forgetting that my socks and hard wood flooring don't mix very well. I slid halfway across my bedroom before crashing into a pile of empty boxes that used to hold books and landing in a heap on the floor.

"Izzy?" Dad called up uneasily.

"I'm okay!" I pushed myself up, rubbing my hip where I'd landed on it.

His laughter carried up the stairs. "Be careful!" But I was already distracted. My eyes had fallen on the entrance to my new closet. It was amazing. Dad had taken the two beautiful doors to the old wardrobe and used them as the doors into the closet. They were set into the wall on new hinges, and he'd taken the front legs and glued them to the bottom next to the doors and surrounded the doorway with trimming made out of the wardrobe's wood so that it looked like I was just opening the wardrobe when I was really walking into a whole other room. The fancy carving that had been on the top of the wardrobe was nailed over the doors as well. I clapped happily and rushed (carefully) over to open the doors.

On the inside, the left wall was lined with three shelves all the way across it. The door into the hall sort of glued shut with calk in the cracks around it, and a row of hooks was nailed into it to hang coats on. The old vanity and little bookshelf were both still in the same places. I noticed that two lights were hanging from the ceiling and there was a light switch behind me, next to the doors. I couldn't suppress a squeal of delight. It was every girl's dream closet.

"So you like it, then?" I jumped at the sound of my dad's voice and swung around. He was standing in the doorway, smiling.

"Like it? It's positively breathtaking! I adore it!" I gave him a big hug and he laughed.

"Good, because I would have made you use it even if you hated it."

"Don't be ridiculous." I stepped back and walked the length of the room (it was only about eight feet by six feet- like I said, it was a tiny room), inspecting his handy work. "You must have worked right through lunch to finish this."

Dad shrugged. "Your mother brought me a sandwich."

"Oh yes. The food of champions…and the Navy Seals." I walked over to the vanity and sat down, pretending to powder my face with an invisible puff. "Well, father," I said, putting on my favorite fake accent once again, "I must say this is much better than that ghastly old wardrobe was. You've done some commendable work. Bravo!"

Dad just shook his head and walked away. "Finish unpacking. Your mother just got back with the groceries so dinner will be at six. You have two hours."

"Yes, sir!"

"At ease."

Since I actually remembered to turn my music on first this time, the next two hours of setting up everything in my closet went by pretty fast. I'm one of those people who abhors cleaning or organizing but once I get started I get really into it. I even finished with ten minutes to spare. I decided to check and see if Dana was online. I fired up Ol' Faithful and fussed with the pillows Mom had given me for my window seat while I waited. When she was finally whirred into action, I opened the instant messenger and was quite surprised by the first message I received.

**Jo Mama**: HEY GIRLFRAND!

I stared at the screen for a couple of seconds, trying to get over the shock that Jo was actually online. She almost never used her AIM and when she did it was usually because she was doing research or working on an essay and was looking for some distraction- and even that only happened once in a blue moon.

**I Am What I Iz**: wow!

**I Am What I Iz**: you're actually online!

**I Am What I Iz**: is the sky falling?

**Jo Mama**: maybe.

**Jo Mama**: dana bo bayna told me you came online yesterday.

**Jo Mama**: and your phone is useless over there.

**Jo Mama**: so i've been waiting here all day.

**I Am What I Iz**: it's only like 1 over there.

**Jo Mama**: and i signed on at like…8.

**I Am What I Iz**: you're a freak. i think i was sleeping.

**Jo Mama**: ew.

**I Am What I Iz**: sorry.

**I Am What I Iz**: the tv lulled me into sweet slumber.

**Jo Mama**: stop talking like that ya douche.

**I Am What I Iz**: die.

**Jo Mama**: neverrrr!

**Jo Mama**: anyway

**Jo Mama**: how is it?

**I Am What I Iz**: idk.

**I Am What I Iz**: rainy?

It was true. There was rain streaming down my window at that very moment. I'd been kind of hoping to go explore a little that day, but my unexpected nap and the weather had worked against me.

**Jo Mama**: yay!

**I Am What I Iz**: …

**Jo Mama**: i sleep better during storms.

**I Am What I Iz**: yeah i know.

"Izzy! Dinner's ready! Coooomee aaannndd geet iiiit!" Mom yelled up the stairs.

**I Am What I Iz**: oh sugar cakes.

**I Am What I Iz**: i have to go eat dinner. :

**Jo Mama**: noooooo! dont leave meeee!!

**I Am What I Iz**: i am sorry my darling.

**I Am What I Iz**: but my stomach calls for sustenance.

**I Am What I Iz**: and my mom calls for me to go downstairs.

**Jo Mama**: fiieeeennn. i should go do something productive anyway.

**I Am What I Iz**: goodbye for now, my love.

**Jo Mama**: peace!

**Jo Mama Signed Off at 1:04PM**

I still need to change the time setting. Signing off, I shut down the computer. I didn't want to risk leaving her on all night again. She might explode and burn the house down.

No, really.

When I stepped into the hallway the first thing I noticed was the delicious scent of homemade pasta sauce that had filled the house while I was in my bedroom. I was suddenly very hungry, having not eaten anything except the PB&J sandwich I'd had for breakfast. The excitement I felt for the meal made me think of a song from _Sweeney Todd_. I hummed the tune as I skipped down the stairs and went into the dining room. There was already a plate set out for me and I sat right down and dug in.

"Oh, Izzy, you could have at least put some jeans on," Mom sighed.

I looked up and realized that compared to my mom and dad I probably looked like a bum. Both of them had actually showered and got dressed into normal clothes. I was still in my pajamas with my (probably greasy) brown hair tied up in a pile on top of my head. "Oh. Sorry." I ducked my head and continued to shovel my mother's amazing cooking into my mouth.

She heaved another sigh. "What am I going to do with you?"

I sucked the end of a spaghetti strand into my mouth and swallowed before answering. "Trade me in for a better looking brand?" I burped.

"Not a bad idea."

I stuck my tongue out at her and she made a face at me.

"Now ladies, don't make me turn this table around," Dad said sternly.

"Sorry, Dad," my mom and I both chorused. We all laughed. The rest of the meal continued with our usual playful bantering until I yawned so wide Mom said she could see my tonsils (which wasn't really saying much because I was born with obnoxiously large ones that made me get a sore throat a lot) and ordered me off to bed.

As I walked out I could hear her saying to Dad that she couldn't believe how I could always be so tired. My dad just muttered something about "teenagers and hormones." I rolled my eyes. Parents. It took me considerably longer to make it into bed this time. First, I decided to try out my new bathroom by taking a hot shower. It felt wonderful and helped to ease the muscles in my back and arms that were a little sore from all the bending and reaching and carrying I'd done over the last two days.

Once out of the shower, I ran a brush through my hair and pulled on an old faded blue field hockey tee shirt over my favorite, most comfortable bra. I have this weird phobia of not wearing a bra. I think it has something to do with growing up in a family that doesn't understand the word "privacy." I mean my sister used to let her friends (of the male persuasion, usually) burst into my room on Saturday mornings and jump on me to wake me up. Honestly, wouldn't you wear a bra to bed if you didn't know whether you were going to have a boy sitting on your stomach the next morning or not? I thought so. Since then, I can't sleep without having one on.

I pulled blue plaid pajama pants on over my Scooby Doo undies and climbed into bed. Unfortunately, I knew right when I turned off the light that it was going to be one of those nights where I wouldn't fall asleep for hours. I have those nights quite often. It's a real pain in the neck. Like always, I tossed and turned for a long time. Apparently I fell asleep for some length of time, because when I turned over to face my room the moon was shining directly through my window, and it hadn't even been at it's pique when I'd gone to bed.

Don't you hate it when you're tossing and turning and you feel like you've been awake the whole time but you check the clock and it's been four hours or something but you don't feel any less tired? Yeah. It sucks.

Needless to say, I spent quite some time staring up at the canopy, wondering if Mom had unpacked the over the counter drugs yet and, if so, where she'd put the sleep aid pills. I was also trying to decide if, when I'd worked out the chances that she'd unpacked them, it was even worth it to get up and go look for them. It was during this little commentary in my mind that my eyelids started to grow heavy and finally close for what I hoped was a nice dreamless sleep.

But my eyes snapped right open again when I heard a familiar voice call my name. "Isabella…" There it was again. I sat bolt upright in my bed and stared around my room, trying to find the source of the sound. There was a strange whispering coming from, as I'd feared, behind the door into my closet. I swallowed hard, jumping when the deep voice once again repeated my name. Where have I heard that voice before?

Slowly, I pulled my sheets back and stepped down onto the cold wood floor. Before I stood up, I grabbed for something that might be of some use as a weapon. My fingers wrapped around the strap of my messenger bag. Good enough. I lifted it up and wrapped my right hand around the strap right where both ends met the bag itself, ready to use it as a bludgeon of some sort. It was actually pretty heavy. My binder and my hardcover copy of _Twilight_ were both still inside from when I brought them on the flight in case I felt like writing something or re-reading my favorite book for, like, the twelfth time.

I pushed a messy curl back from my face as I approached my closet. More whispers, then my name again. The voice seemed to be getting farther away. I breathed in deeply. "Dad, is that you?" I asked. My voice cracked. Great. If it is some kind of crazy axe murderer, now they know that you're scared. The voice called my name again, still fading. I had to admit, there was nothing in the tone that suggested danger. But, still… "Dad, this isn't funny. Cut it out." There was no answer. Even the whispering stopped.

Silence suddenly pressed down on my ears and, let me tell you, that silence was so damn loud.

I took another step towards the doors and reached out to grasp the handle of the one on the left. Going for the element of surprise, I swung the door open, stepped inside, swung my bag blindly (I kind of closed my eyes, which was probably pretty stupid), and reached for the light switch all at the same time.

Problem was, there was no light switch. There was no floor for me to step on either. I screamed as I fell, and cried out loudly when I landed hard on my stomach on something that felt and smelled a lot like dirt. I lay perfectly still for a moment after I opened my eyes, trying to figure out where the hell I was. It was very dark, but I could make out tall shadows that could be trees, and little fuzzy shapes that could be bushes.

Shakily, I pushed myself up onto my knees and stared at my surroundings. Okay, so I was in a forest. This had to be a dream. I pinched myself like people always do in the movies. Ouch! So I really did step out of my bedroom and into some dark scary woods. Cool. Fine. Just stay calm.

Yeah, right! I started to panic, frightened tears threatening to spill down my cheeks. My head was pounding, my whole body shaking as I struggled to my feet. The pounding got louder, and as I reached up to cover my ears I realized that the pounding wasn't in my head.

It was behind me.

Spinning around, I barely had time to recognize the form of a large horse charging towards me before it reared up before me, letting out a shrill whiny. I threw my arms up in front of me to avoid getting kicked in the face and lost my balance in my effort to move backwards, falling hard on my back. Now I really was crying. I heard someone talking softly to the horse to calm it, and then the hooves drew closer to where I lay cowering with my arms over my face.

I lowered my arms just enough so that I could make out a figure riding the horse. My vision was impaired by the darkness and my tears, but I thought it might be a man. This scared me even more, and a terrified sob escaped my lips.

"Who are you?" a breathless voice asked, definitely a man. I couldn't answer. It took all of my effort to force myself back onto my feet. I tried to take a step back away from the dark figure, but my back was already against a tree. He cast an anxious look over his shoulder. I could hear shouts and the sound of more horses from the way he was looking. He turned back to me. I was breathing heavily, trying to calm myself down and clear my head so I could think rationally. "What are you doing here?" His voice was urgent but kind, and slightly halting with a soft accent that reminded me of Italian or Spanish.

The horse whined impatiently and pawed at the ground. "I…don't…know!" I managed to force out, a fresh wave of tears coursing down my cheeks.

"Don't…don't cry, please." He sounded desperate and pained. He cast another frightened look over his shoulder, and then held a hand out to me. "Come."

I recoiled. "What?" My voice broke.

"You must come with me." He urged his horse closer to me as he said this. I could just make out the shape of his nose and, vaguely, his eyes, but his face was so shadowed I could not see him clearly at all. "If you don't, I am afraid you might be killed. The men pursuing me would not hesitate to shoot on sight." His hand was still outstretched towards me, waiting for me to take it.

I hesitated. If people with dangerous weapons are chasing this man, is it really wise to go with him? Then I registered the words "you might be killed" and "shoot on sight." As quickly as I could, I slung the strap of my bag across my torso and took his gloved hand. With surprising strength, he hauled me up into the saddle behind him.

"Hold on," he advised. I barely had enough time to get my hands around his waist before he snapped the reins and gave the horse a kick and we were flying through the woods so fast I had to lean my head against the stranger's back and close my eyes to ward off the roller coaster-like way my stomach dropped to my feet. Swallowing another wave of tears, I tightened my grip around him and prayed that I wouldn't fall.

**There it is, darlings. The farthest she's ever fallen…but where could she possibly have fallen!? Ahahaha. I'm sure you already know, clever little devils that you are, but I need something to keep you hooked! Maybe she fell into Middle Earth… Though, that's not very likely. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it and please review!**


	3. Chapter Three

**Okay, so I really like this chapter for some reason. I dunno. Maybe it's coz I like Trufflehunter a lot. Anyway, thanks to my reviewers: Queen O' Randomness, Aramoorn, and Sky-Pirate325 for your support. It's always greatly appreciated!**

**Now, without further ado, I give you chapter numero tre.**

Chapter Three: A Little Tea Goes a Long Way

No matter what someone tells you, I swear on my life that, when they're scared, the only person they want to see is their mother. I know. I have two case studies going on simultaneously in my mind. The first one is Dana, who has the most fantastic relationship with her mom that they can't go one day apart without missing each other. They're best friends, and I'm a little jealous.

The second study is of myself. Unfortunately, the fact was that no matter how hard I hoped or prayed that I could wake up in my warm bed and sprint down the hall to my mommy, it wasn't happening.

Instead, I was still whizzing through the woods on the back of a speeding (and, in my opinion, totally out of control) horse, holding onto a faceless stranger who was obviously on the run from the law or something. And I was scared.

There were shouts coming from behind us. Men with similar accents to Tall Dark and Dangerous were yelling things like "This way!" and "Over here- I saw him over here!" I guess in a way I'd picked the lesser of two evils. In the middle of a particularly dark night in a particularly dark forest, if the pursuing men had seen me they wouldn't have known the difference between me and the guy they were really after. At least, that's what I assume my escort meant when he said the words "you may be killed" and "shoot on sight." So my choices were A: wait around to get shot, or B: ride off deeper into the creepy woods with the crazy man on the horse.

Hard decision, but since the former held a promise of death and the latter only suggested it, I chose to go with him. Of course, the experience left something to be desired. It was worse than any roller coaster I'd ever been on (which isn't many because I'm terrified of heights), and Sir Lancelot didn't seem very confident. He kept looking over his shoulder like he expected the cavalry to be gaining on him. They probably were, but I wasn't about to turn around and check. I was too busy thinking about how stupid it was that he kept looking back while riding through a forest full of unexpected obstacles. I closed my eyes and hoped that there weren't any particularly low branches in front of us.

Of course there were. I didn't actually realize we'd been knocked off the horse until we hit the ground, and even then I was distracted by how heavy he was, since I was the lucky one to land between him and the forest floor. Hardly a moment later his weight disappeared. I sat up and tried to blink the stars from my eyes. The combination of the fall and being crushed had left me dazed and achy. My left shoulder in particular had the worst complaint. When I finally regained my senses, I saw the shape of the horse running away from where I sat, dragging something behind it. Great. There goes my ride and it's taking the driver with it.

I scrambled to my feet and glanced behind me. The shadows of the hunting party in the distance were still coming, so I did what any other sane but slightly delirious person would do in that sort of situation- I ran. More specifically, I ran after the guy and the horse. Hey, when I'm in a strange foreign place with no idea how or why I'm there and men with long range weaponry are headed right towards me, I figured it might be wise to stick with the guy who'd risked his own skin to stick around long enough to get me, a hysterical teenage girl, to safety. It seemed that he'd managed to detach himself from the runaway beastie, and the horse continued on into the darkness. Trying to ignore the rocks digging into my bare feet, I focused instead on the motionless heap of the faceless rider. By the time I'd caught up with him he had sat up, and was rubbing the back of his head with one hand. I dropped down onto my knees beside him, gasping for breath and thankful that my tears had temporarily subsided.

"Are…you…okay?" I asked. He looked up as if he was only just noticing my arrival. A sliver of moonlight fell across his right eye, and I noticed that it was somewhat exotically shaped.

"Yes. Are you?" The concern in his voice surprised me.

"Yeah. I'm fine."

A creaking noise next to us drew our attention to a huge tree I hadn't noticed before. At the base of it, what looked like a small door opened and light flooded out onto the surrounding roots. Two small figures appeared from within, and as they drew closer I saw that they both had unkempt coils of hair and long, scraggly beards. "Behind me," my stranger muttered (Everything around me was strange, but since this person actually seemed concerned for my well-being I decided that he was deserving of a slightly more personal title…in my mind.). I didn't understand what he meant until he'd grabbed my arm and gave me a forceful tug that threatened to drag me across the ground if I hadn't deciphered his meaning and scrambled behind him myself.

"They've seen us!" a gruff voice acknowledged. One of the figures moved toward us and I noticed with a pang of fright that it was holding a small sword in its left hand. My stranger moved back as well as he could while sprawled on the ground, forcing me to do the same. His head jerked to the right a fraction of an inch, and when I looked I saw what had caught his attention- the hilt of a sword, which I guess belonged to him, was lying just out of reach.

A shout went up from the direction we'd come from. The pursuing party was drawing nearer, and it drew the attention of the strange little creatures that threatened us. The one that had come forward turned back to his companion. "Take care of them," he ordered, and then disappeared into the brush. The other figure came towards us, holding a weapon similar to his friend's. He stopped a foot or two away. An object on the ground that I couldn't see had caught his eye. He looked back up at my stranger, a weird expression on his face, and for a few breathless moments none of us moved.

The next series of events transpired so quickly I wasn't quite sure what was happening until afterwards. First, my stranger suddenly dove for the object that the little man had been so intent on. He grabbed it out of the brush and, leaning back, brought it to his lips, and I saw that it was an intricately carved, ivory colored horn in the shape of a lion. I was vaguely aware of the little creature yelling "No!" but then the man blew the horn and I forgot everything else. The sound that emitted from it was only a single note, but it seemed to pass right through my skin and carry over the treetops just to echo off of the silent sky right back down to my ears. I was brought back to attention when the beautiful sound stopped abruptly. My mind slowly connected the horn's sudden silence to my stranger's limp form face down in the dirt, and a shrill, "Oh!" burst from my lips.

Another figure appeared in the doorway at the base of the tree. "Nikabrik!" it demanded. "What's going on out there? That sound-"

"Shut up and help me get this thing inside," the one that I now knew was called Nikabrik (what a weird name) interrupted as he grabbed my stranger's arm and heaved his torso over his shoulder. "There's plenty of time for discussion later. Get the horn. And his sword." I was frozen to the spot. What was I supposed to do? Go _Xena: Warrior Princess_ on them? I couldn't even throw a punch straight. I was the bane of Sensei's existence when my dad had forced me to take a year of Okinawan karate. "You too, girl!" With a start, I realized the scary little man was talking to me. I stared at him blankly, but he'd already turned around and continued to drag 200 pounds of man down into the tree.

"Come now, child." I turned my head to my right and screamed. The voice, though much kinder than that of the little man- Nikabrik or whatever- came from the mouth of a badger. A _badger_! I scrambled away from it, wondering what the hell a badger was doing talking and, if my reaction had offended it, did it know how to use the sword that it was now holding? It waddled towards me (on it's hind legs, no less) and seemed to have what I guess was a sympathetic look for a badger. "You must be very frightened, I know, but I'm afraid if you do not come inside a far worse fate may befall you than breaking bread with a badger." He motioned to the little door. "Go on, now. Go. I'll be right behind you."

Now, I'm sure most normal people would have run screaming by that time, but the truth was that I was just so _tired_, and while I'm being completely honest, somewhere between nearly being trampled by his horse and the appearance of these impossible creatures, I'd grown weirdly attached to my stranger. Maybe it had something to do with how he was the first person I met in this freaky place. You know, like when babies bond with their mothers in like the first three minutes after birth or something? Like that, but not as gross.

I managed to get to my feet uneasily, the bottoms of which were very sore, and walk slowly over to the tree. The roots seemed to make a little set of stairs down into a hollow between two larger roots, and at the bottom of the steps was the door. Placing my hand on the rough base of the tree, I made my way down them, feeling very much like a toddler who just learned how to go up and down the stairs.

I had to duck to get through the door, and when I got inside I gasped. The room I had entered was like a sort of dining room/kitchen/sitting room mixture. All the way to my left was a little alcove where the dishes were kept and probably washed. A little hall branched off from there, almost hidden from view. I stepped further into the room, around the table and to the right. The kid-sized surface had bowls and other oddities placed on it. A warm fire was burning in the hearth to my right, and while I was staring at the embers Nikabrik appeared from behind the far wall. I jumped at his sudden appearance, and took a step back only to trip and fall into a conveniently place chair. I landed on something hard, and turned to see that my stranger's vest of chain mail was draped over the back of the seat. I turned back around in time to see the badger pull the door closed behind him and lean the sword against the wall. He went over to the table and carefully placed the horn down, like he was worried he may break it.

"It is," he breathed. "Queen Susan's horn."

"Yes, and that idiot went and blew it," Nikabrik responded, sitting down in a chair at the table. His little sword was sheathed at his side. I didn't move or speak, but I could feel the tears making a comeback.

"Perhaps that is not such a bad thing, Nikabrik." The badger waddled around, collecting bowls and spoons from the table. "I hope Trumpkin's made out all right."

Nikabrik scoffed. "I highly doubt that. Telmarine soldiers are hardly forgiving."

I dug my fingernails into the soft cloth upholstery on the chair, trying to keep myself from screaming. Now that I was sitting in a cozy little room, I missed my big old four-poster bed more than ever. Not only that, but I really, really missed my parents. Wouldn't you? I had no idea where I was, the only person that had shown concern for me was out cold in the next room, and I was listening to a conversation between a talking badger and what I was growing more and more convinced may be a dwarf. Like, an honest to God mythical dwarf. You know, as in Snow White and the Seven?

Nikabrik seemed to notice me for the first time. While he scrutinized me I took a shaky breath and stared at the floor. "What are you, then?" he asked. What am I? _What am I!? _"You're certainly not Telmarine. You're much too pale. Out with it then. Where do you come from and why are you here? And while you're at it, you can explain what you were doing with that Telmarine scum."

The sound of his harsh voice was the last shove that got my tear ducts to their full momentum. I burst into a fit of tears, hugging myself, and an extremely unattractive sob tore out of my throat. "I…don't…know!" My reaction seemed to scare the dwarf. He recoiled visibly, and the badger turned around in the little kitchen alcove. The ridiculous explanation spilled from my lips with my sobs. "I was just minding my own business in bed when there were these scary whispers from my closet and then someone was calling my name so I went to see what the hell was going on and suddenly I was lying in the dirt nearly getting trampled by his horse!" I jerked my head towards the other room. I hiccoughed and tried to regain my breath. "And then he told me I had to go with him or the other men would probably kill me so I did but then we fell and he got dragged and so I was running and my feet…and then YOU guys showed up and totally made everything WORSE and you had to go and knock him out and I don't know where I am or why I'm here or who you are and I just want to go home and I…want…my…mom and dad!" I buried my face in my hands as I finished, crying loudly. I probably looked quite ridiculous, spouting nonsense at two strangers and crying so hard my eyes would most likely fall out before I was finished, but I honestly didn't care.

I just wanted to wake up.

A tiny hand touched my shoulder. "Now, now. It's all right. Don't cry." The voice was that of the badger. I suppose if I had to choose one of the two that I liked better, I'd pick him. His voice was kind and almost fatherly, and had a mature accent that reminded me of Britain. "I'm sure that everything will work out fine. Just calm down, dear. That's a good girl." I peered up at him from behind my hands. I was hunched over in the chair with my convulsive sobbing. He was holding out a handkerchief for me to use. I sniffed and hiccoughed again, then accepted it from him and wiped at my face. "There we are. Now, how about a nice hot cup a' tea? That'll help you feel better, eh?"

The badger got a cup from the cupboard and sprinkled a few different substances into it, and then went to the fireplace, where there was a kettle hanging over the flames, and poured steaming water over the herbs. He walked back over to me and placed the teacup in my hand. "That's right. Have a sip."

I put the cup to my lips and took a small sip. It burnt the tip of my tongue, but the badger was right. Something in the herbs he'd used to make it was helping to calm my nerves.

"Feel better?"

I nodded and took another careful sip.

"Good. Now." He pulled out a chair from the table and turned it so it was facing me before he sat down. "What is your name, child?"

"Izzy," I said softly. I blew on my tea and then took another, larger sip. The effect it had on me was amazing, and in addition to my lack of sleep, I was starting to feel rather lethargic.

"Well, Izzy, can you tell us where you are from? Archenland perhaps? The north?"

Nikabrik scoffed. "She doesn't look like one that would be from the wild lands."

"Hush, Nikabrik. Let her speak."

"I'm from New Jersey," I said.

They both stared at me for a moment, then the badger continued in his careful voice. I could tell he was wary that I might burst into tears again. "Nujerzy? I have not heard of that land before. It must not be a neighbor to Narnia."

"New Jersey," I corrected slowly. He had said it quickly like it was one word. "Like, a jersey that's new. And it's in America."

"America…" He looked to the dwarf. "Is that in Calormen?"

"No. I've never even heard of any such place. She must be lying."

"I'm not!" I exclaimed, tearing up again.

"Oh, Nikabrik, look what you've done. Gone and got her upset again." He put one paw on my knee. "It's all right. I know you aren't lying. Drink your tea." His voice was soft, but an order just the same. I did as he told, taking another large sip of the warm liquid. A pleasant flame was lit in my stomach, and I was feeling calm again and quite sleepy.

"America is west of here, probably. What country is Narnia in? Europe?"

"My dear, Narnia is a country herself." He patted my knee apologetically, like I should know better.

"I've never heard of it before. I've never heard of any of these places." I had to take another sip of tea to stay calm. "All I know is that ever since I moved to England things have been getting weirder and weirder and now I'm here…somehow. This is impossible." I hung my head, supporting it with the hand that wasn't holding the teacup.

"England?" My head shot up at the familiar tone in the badger's voice. He looked to Nikabrik. "Like the old stories."

"You know about England? What old stories?"

The badger looked back at me. "The stories about the Kings and Queens of Old. It was said that they came to Narnia from a different world, and a place called England within that world."

I stared at him, open-mouthed. "A different _world_? You mean I stepped into my closet and somehow fell through some ripple in the time space continuum and wound up _here_?"

He sat back. "I don't know about all that, but it has occurred to me that you may have been brought to Narnia much the same way as the Kings and Queens did- suddenly, and at a time of great need." Nodding to himself, he seemed satisfied with some sort of conclusion he'd made in his mind.

"Can I ask you some questions now?" I decided to get a few things cleared up while I was still thinking of them.

"Certainly."

"What _are _you?"

The animal chuckled. "Well, I'm a badger, of course."

"I know that. I guess what I'm trying to say is…you can talk. How is that possible?"

"There are many animals in this wood that can speak in the tongue of Adam." The badger shrugged like it was no big deal.

"There's more of you?"

"Some. Most of us are in hiding now, ever since the invasion of the Telmarines."

I pursed my lips. My initial shock and fear was wearing away and becoming replaced by curiosity.

"You keep talking about these Telmarines, and you said that my stranger is one of them. Oh!" I blushed, putting a hand to my mouth. "I mean _that_ stranger. Not _my_. Heh."

Nikabrik gave me a strange look, but didn't say anything about my slip up. Instead, he explained. "The Telmarines invaded Narnia years ago and wiped out most of our kind. There are hardly any Narnians left now, but those that survived the invasion are all somewhere in the wood."

"Oh…and you…Narnians…are like…all mythical creature types?"

"Hardly mythical," the badger put in. He had stood up and was taking my empty teacup to the alcove. "We are all very real."

"Well, I mean mythical in my world. We don't have talking animals or…" I looked at Nikabrik, not wanting to misname his species.

"Dwarves," he supplied. Aha! I was right.

"Yeah, dwarves." I brought my knees up under my chin and hugged my legs. "Hey, do you guys have centaurs too?"

"Of course!" The badger returned to his seat. "Nice folk, they are. Glenstorm's particularly good at reading the stars."

"Glenstorm?"

"The head centaur."

"Ah. So, what are you going to do with…him?" I nodded towards the other room.

"I am not sure yet."

"I think we should kill it," Nikabrik said, looking disgruntled.

"No!" I exclaimed. "I mean…you don't even know why he's here or anything. Maybe he's not like the other Telmerins."

"Telmarines," the badger corrected.

"Right. The point is, he wasn't with those other men. He was running away from them. So, maybe he's not an enemy." I shrugged, trying to look unconcerned.

"That's true. Not that we would have killed him anyway." He gave Nikabrik a withering look. It suddenly occurred to me that I didn't know his name.

"Hey, um, what's your name?" I asked awkwardly.

The badger laughed. "Trufflehunter at your service, my lady."

"It's…um…nice to meet you, Trufflehunter." I smiled sheepishly, then covered my mouth as I yawned.

"Oh, how rude of us. You must be exhausted. Come, I will get you something to change into and set you up in the guest bed down the hall." He jumped to his feet and headed around to table toward the next room.

"That's my bed," Nikabrik grumbled. I really didn't like him.

"I don't want to impose," I said politely as I followed Trufflehunter. Actually, by that point I was so tired I had no problem imposing at all. I actually couldn't wait to impose my way all the way to dreamland.

"Nonsense. Come."

I followed Trufflehunter around the bend and watched as he busied himself digging through a trunk at the end of a bed. A bed that was occupied. My eyes moved up and I realized that I was looking at my stranger (I should probably try to stop calling him that).

I froze, quite shocked at what I was seeing.

"I'm afraid I haven't got anything too fancy- no dresses either," Trufflehunter was saying as he searched through the trunk. "But if I remember correctly, I've a bit of a collection of shirts and breeches. We badgers don't like to waste, and during all that crazy Telmarine business I somehow came into possession of- are you all right?" He'd turned around while he was speaking and saw my expression of wonder.

"He's so…_young_," I said. It was true. He had to be my age, a year or two older at the most.

"Yes, he's just a boy." Trufflehunter seemed saddened by this. "Didn't you know?"

"Well…no. This is the first time I've seen his face. I guess I had the impression that he was older…" I was still staring. I couldn't really help it- he had very interesting features. His skin was the color of dark caramel, and his eyes, even closed, were still strangely exotic. He looked peaceful, the smooth plane of his forehead met by arched eyebrows that were completely relaxed. There were no worry lines in the brow that connected to the slope of a round nose that slightly contrasted the sharp angle of his cheekbones. His lips, slightly parted by his breath, were neither thin nor full, but an even medium, and the curve of his chin, with the slightest of dimples, completed his island look. My fingers suddenly itched for a piece of charcoal and some paper. Did I mention that sometimes I get these sudden urges to draw, even though I'm not very good, just because I'm so intrigued by what I see? Yeah, it's pretty annoying, especially since I never do the real thing any justice.

"Miss Izzy?" Trufflehunter was standing at my side, holding a pair of pants and a shirt much like my stranger was wearing, and was looking anxiously back and forth between him and me.

"Yeah, sorry. I spaced for a second." I turned away from the boy so I wouldn't get distracted again. I noticed that when I wasn't looking I didn't need to draw quite as badly, which was good because I was dead tired and didn't feel like sitting up until daylight trying to get his earlobe right or something- I never would, anyway.

"Come, the guest room is this way."

I followed him out of the room past Nikabrik who was mumbling to himself, and down the hidden hallway I'd noticed before. "What about Nikabrik?"

"Nikabrik can sleep on the floor. If he complains I'll just sit on his head."

I laughed and Trufflehunter smiled. I ducked under another doorway. It was another bedroom, though much simpler because it lacked the personal touches that Trufflehunter's had. He placed the clothes on the little bed and walked to the doorway.

"I'm sorry I don't have a bigger bed."

"It's all right. I've slept in worse." I pulled my messenger back off from around my torso and dropped it next to the bed, then sat down on the edge of it. "Thank you so much."

"Oh, thanks are not necessary. My home will always be open to any Daughter of Eve that comes from the same world as the Kings and Queens of Old."

"Who are these Kings and Queens of Old?" I asked. I was very curious to hear about them.

Trufflehunter shook his head and held up a paw. "You must rest now. There will be time for more questions tomorrow. Sleep well."

"Thank you."

Then he was gone. I changed quickly, wary that there was no door to close for added privacy. I tossed my dirty and apparently ripped (I hadn't noticed until I took them off) pajamas to the side and investigated my new threads. The shirt fit just loosely enough to be comfortable but tight enough to not look like a tent. There was also another point on the scoreboard for team wear-a-bra-to-bed. Hey, you never know when you might fall into another country! …Right.

The pants were another case entirely. They fit well enough around my hips, but they were several inches too long. I yawned and pulled the blanket back on the bed, deciding that I could deal with that in the morning. I curled up under the covers and, no matter how cliché it might sound, I really was asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.

**There you are! I hope you enjoyed it. Please review! Much love -Hoshi**


	4. Chapter Four

**I got the Prince Caspian game for Nintendo DS yesterday and that's pretty much all I've been doing. I love it! I play as Caspian mostly… But so far my options include the Pevensies, Trumpkin, Trufflehunter, Nikabrik, Reepicheep, and Glenstorm. I had Wimbleweather for a bit too but then he got upset because his cheese was stolen and ran away. Oh well.**

**Thanks again to my lovely reviewers! Britishbabe21, Like a Puma, Queen O' Randomness, romantic.dreamer26, Sky-Pirate325, and of course Aramoorn, you all make my heart very happy with your kind words! I'm so glad you like Izzy so much! I've been trying my best to keep her from becoming Mary Sue-ish and pouring all my strangeness into her quirks, so it makes me very happy to find out that you enjoy her character and think she's different from the usual.**

**Now that that's been covered, I suppose we shall move on with the story!**

Chapter Four: Give Me My Romeo

Sleeping is my favorite thing in the whole wide world. Seriously. If sleeping were a sport I'd be a world champ. I wish I could make money for sleeping- I'd be a billionaire. Unfortunately, there are limited opportunities in the sleep field, so I probably won't be employed by the Sand Man anytime soon. Oh well. For now I shall just have to continue to sleep for recreational purposes.

Speaking of, I never expected to have the best sleep of my life in a bed half the size of a twin. It was that deep, dreamless, amazing kind of sleep that usually happens only when you take Nyquil or Tylenol PM. When I woke up the next morning (at least I think it was morning since I was under ground and there were no windows through which I could look to find out) I felt so well rested that I didn't freak out when I remembered that I wasn't safe at home in bed but was, in fact, a guest in the home of a talking badger.

I sat up in the tiny bed and squinted around the room as I yawned. It was strange. That morning was the first morning since I was a little girl that I didn't crave caffeine like a crack addict craves cocaine. I rubbed the remnants of sleep from my eyes and ran my fingers through my hair. They got caught in a few nasty tangles, but I managed to wrestle them out. My hair has this weird tendency to curl in funky ways. It does some pretty weird stuff, especially when I sleep on it. Imagine Edward Scissorhands, except with brown hair that's around the face instead of jutting out to the side, and you'd have a pretty accurate idea of my hair on a good day. But I guess I preferred long and crazy to long and flat and shapeless.

Truthfully, I was tempted to stay in bed. I mean, the room was so cozy and the bed was still warm from my body heat and I had no clue what I was going to say when I was finally forced to venture out into the kitchen/dining/living room, so the idea was extremely enticing. But while I was pondering this, a loud commotion from said room caught my attention and my curiosity got the better of me. I tossed the blankets off of my legs and stood up. Grabbing my trusty messenger bag-weapon (I didn't know if there was anything dangerous goin' down- better safe than sorry!), I ducked out of the room and tip toed down the hall.

I could hear Nikabrik shouting as I drew closer. "I told you we should've killed it when we had the chance!" There was the distinct sound of metal hitting metal.

"You know why we can't!" Trufflehunter scolded.

A third voice joined in that I recognized as my stranger. "If we're taking a vote, I'm with him." I stifled a giggle and, deciding there wasn't any immediate danger to my life, slung my bag over my shoulder. I decided to listen in a little longer before I made an appearance. I didn't want to interrupt.

"We can't let him go!" Nikabrik disagreed. "He's seen us!"

There was more bickering and fighting noises, then Trufflehunter's voice carried over everything, "Enough, Nikabrik! Or do I have to sit on your head again?" I had to laugh at this. Luckily, Trufflehunter was still talking loudly enough to cover the sound. "And you! Look what you made me do! Spent all morning on that soup…"

There was a brief silence, and then my stranger spoke again. "What are you?"

"You know, it's funny you should ask that. You'd think more people would know a badger when they saw one," Trufflehunter replied. I could see him ladling soup into a fresh bowl in the little kitchen alcove from where I was standing, but he had his back slightly turned to me so he could talk over his shoulder. He disappeared from view again.

"No, I mean…you're Narnians," my stranger clarified. "You're supposed to be extinct."

Nikabrik scoffed. "Sorry to disappoint you."

There was a pause. "My companion, where is she?" Aw, he remembered. What a guy.

"She's perfectly safe. Sleeping down the hall if you must know." I heard him set the tray of soup down on the table. "There you are. Still hot."

"Since when did we open a boarding house for Telmarine soldiers?" Nikabrik complained.

"I am not a soldier!" My stranger sounded a little offended. "I am Prince Caspian. The tenth."

"WHAT?" I exclaimed. A loud crash followed my outburst. I peered around the wall and saw that Nikabrik had tipped over backwards in his chair. Haha, I made him fall over. "Oh, sorry." I couldn't help it. A prince? Of course. Saved by a prince- how cliché. The trials of my life. I meekly walked into the room while the dwarf righted himself and grumbled something about "crazy human females."

"My lady!" Trufflehunter greeted. "I did not know you were awake!"

"Uh, yeah," I flinched. "Sorry."

"Come and have something to eat!"

I was really growing to love that little badger. He was so enthusiastic and adorable- not that I'd tell him that. He was still a dangerous animal. I've seen those specials on Animal Planet.

Hesitantly, I walked further into the room. My stranger- I mean, uh, Prince Caspian- was staring at me and I was starting to feel very self-conscious. I reached up a hand to flatten my hair and forced a smile. Trufflehunter had pulled a chair out away from the table where he'd set a second bowl of soup. I sat down on the floor in front of it and took a small bite. Hey, for a badger, he was a pretty good cook.

"Anyway," Nikabrik's voice drew everyone's attention (including Prince Caspian's, thankfully- if I blushed any harder I was going to start bleeding through my pores and then Trufflehunter would have had a terrible mess to clean up and I would've felt awful), "what are you doing _here_?"

Prince Caspian blinked and lowered his head a little. "Running away." He stepped over to the hearth and, leaning on the mantle, placed the fire poker back in its little rack. So that's what the metal clashing was- Nikabrik going knife-happy and the prince defending himself. What a nasty little creature. Nikabrik I mean. "My uncle has always wanted my throne," Prince Caspian continued. "I suppose…I have only lived this long because he could not have an heir of his own."

"Well, that changes things," Trufflehunter said.

"Yeah," Nikabrik agreed. "It means we don't have to kill you ourselves." I gave him a nasty look.

"You're right," Prince Caspian said. I looked up at him as he walked across the room and grabbed his vest of mail.

Trufflehunter started a little. "Where are you going?"

Prince Caspian pulled on his vest as he spoke. "My uncle will not stop until I am dead." He grabbed his sword and moved towards the door.

"But you can't leave!" Trufflehunter exclaimed desperately. "You're meant to save us!" Prince Caspian stopped and turned. The firelight flickered across his questioning expression, casting shadows over his cheek and chin. What I wouldn't give for a piece of charcoal. I busied my hands and mouth with eating my soup so I wouldn't scream a complaint that no one would understand. "Don't you know…what this is?" Trufflehunter picked up an object from the table gingerly. I realized it was the beautiful horn that Prince Caspian had blown the night before.

"Yeah, what's up with that anyway?" I asked. The other three seemed to suddenly remember my presence. Prince Caspian took a tentative step down into the room and slowly sat down on the raised ledge leading to the door.

"This is High Queen Susan's horn," Trufflehunter explained, looking down at it affectionately. "It is believed that when it is blown it has the power to-"

"Call upon the Kings and Queens of Old," Prince Caspian finished. "Yes, I know what it is."

"Then you know that we must wait for the Kings and Queens to arrive!" Trufflehunter said.

Prince Caspian shook his head. "No. I must get as far from this place as I can."

"But you're a Son of Adam, and you blew the horn of Queen Susan! The old tales say-"

"I don't care what the old tales say." Prince Caspian was on his feet again. "They are just that- old tales."

"You didn't seem to think that when you blew the horn," I pointed out. He looked at me and I instantly regretted speaking at all. His stare was so intense. It made me feel like I was naked or something. Ew. I drew my knees up to my chest and hugged them, but didn't break his gaze. Staring contest it is, then.

"As long as I am here, I am in danger," he said quietly.

"You're in danger out there, too," I replied evenly. Trufflehunter and Nikabrik looked back and forth between us.

Prince Caspian looked away towards the fire. Aha! I win. "There is no way to know if they even existed."

I had to roll my eyes at that one. "Uh, hello!" I stood up, grabbing the horn from Trufflehunter and holding it out. "Exhibit A: horn alla Queen Susan." If my Italian teacher were in a grave, she'd be turning over in it. "If this exists, then its owner obviously had to have existed sometime." He looked at the horn, then at me.

"Whether or not they existed does not change anything." He fitted his sword around his waist without even looking down. "I must fly."

I groaned and rolled my eyes, resting my fists on my hips they way I did when my anatomy partner was being particularly dense. "Don't you get it? If these Monarchs of the Past show up they can probably kick your uncle's butt all the way to East Jebib."

Prince Caspian's eyebrows drew together. "Where is East Jebib?"

"In the east," I said sarcastically. "It's a figure of speech. But that's not important. What's important is that this horn thingy is offering you a get out of jail free card and you're taking a nail file to the bars instead." I held the horn up again while I was speaking. He stared at me blankly, not understanding a word I was saying. "Ugh, forget it. This is impossible. I fold." I handed the horn back to Trufflehunter. "Go ahead and leave if you're going to." I crossed my arms and nodded towards the door, then mumbled to myself, "At least then I can finally relax."

"I will, then," Prince Caspian replied.

"Fine."

"Fine."

"Good."

"Good." He walked over to the door, ducking as he got to the low ceiling in front of it. As he reached to push it open, he paused and turned back. "What is your name?"

"Izzy," I answered, a little surprised. He came back into the room again.

"Izzy," he said experimentally. "That is a very…different name."

"Yeah, well, it's short for Isabella."

Prince Caspian smiled. It was the first time I'd seen him smile, and it kinda threw me for a loop. What a jerk. I wonder if he does that on purpose.

"Isabella," he said, staring at me again.

I unfolded my arms and shifted uncomfortably. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

He bowed his head. "Apologies. I was just trying to make sure I will remember your face."

"For what?"

"For when we meet again." It was my turn to stare at him. What made him so sure we would meet again? I don't even live in this world. Then again, I guess he didn't know that… "Until then." Next, he did something I totally didn't expect. Reaching across the table, he took my left hand and brushed his lips lightly over my knuckles.

"Uh, yeah," I muttered after he'd dropped my hand. I was stunned. I really couldn't take all this chivalrous knight crap for much longer- it was starting to freak me out. "Bye, I guess."

Prince Caspian nodded, then turned and disappeared out the door. We all stared after him for several moments then Nikabrik broke the silence by clapping his hands loudly.

"How long then?" he asked.

"I'll say about ten minutes," Trufflehunter replied. He collected the bowls onto a tray and brought them over to the alcove.

"Sounds good." Nikabrik nodded, satisfied.

"Ten minutes until what?" I asked Trufflehunter when he returned to the table.

"Until we follow him," he replied simply.

"We're going to follow him?"

"No, no, no." He shook his head. "You are staying here. Nikabrik and I will be following him."

"What? No way!" I suddenly felt like a little girl who'd just been told she's too short to ride the Tilt-a-Whirl.

"Yes way. It is far too dangerous for you to accompany us. The boy is right. There are going to be Telmarine soldiers all over this wood."

"That's so not fair!" I whined, which probably didn't help my case. "You can't just leave me here!"

"We can," Nikabrik argued. "And we will."

"You have got to be kidding me!" I huffed, sitting down on the floor again. "What is this, My Two Dads?"

"Pardon?" Trufflehunter asked.

"Never mind." I crossed my arms and pouted, wracking my brain for a way to get them to let me go too. It wasn't like I wanted to put myself out in the line of fire again, I just didn't want to stay here all by myself wondering what's going on out there, when and if I would ever get home, and when the 'roid raging soldiers were going to discover my little hidey hole. Oh! Idea!

I heaved a sigh. "Fine then. Leave me here all by my lonesome." I put on a frightened face. "I just hope those soldiers don't discover your secret door, Trufflehunter. There wouldn't be anything I could do!"

"Oh my," Trufflehunter said, pondering my words. "That would not be good."

"And weren't Telmarines pirates in my world?" I asked, and then gasped and covered my mouth. "I hope they don't do the same things to women that pirates do!"

"I…I think they were pirates…" Trufflehunter was starting to look doubtful.

"What would I do if they find me?" I asked in a small voice. "They could do such terrible things…" I buried my face in my hands and heaved a few dry sobs.

"Calm down, child!" Trufflehunter placed one paw on my shoulder. I looked up at him with a frightened expression. He turned to Nikabrik. "Perhaps it would be wiser to bring her along."

Nikabrik gave me a disdainful look. I gave him my best puppy dog eyes.

"Please don't leave me all alone," I begged.

The dwarf grunted. "Fine. If she must come."

I squealed with delight. "Thank you!" I sobered. "I mean, it would just be so scary if they found me…"

"Yeah, sure. Let's get moving already." He stood up and made for the door, Trufflehunter following.

"Oh, um, there's just one problem," I said. They stopped.

"What's that?" Trufflehunter asked.

"I don't have any shoes." I pointed down at my bare toes and wiggled them. My little silver peace sign toe ring glinted in the firelight.

"Oh, that is a problem. Let's see what we I can find…"

After a lot of digging through trunks and complaining on Nikabrik's part that we were falling too far behind (at which Trufflehunter reminded him that he was, indeed, a badger and therefore would be able to catch Prince Caspian's scent hours after his departure), I had on a pair of soft leather boots that, though they were slightly too large, suited me fine.

Trufflehunter left the hole first, sniffing and looking around to make sure that there wasn't anyone around who was detrimental to our health (and by health, I mean lives). When he was satisfied, he motioned for Nikabrik and I to follow. We stepped out into the sunlight and I stood up and stretched, taking a deep breath of clean forest air. It reminded me of the way the air tasted back at my big old country house. I was missing it more and more as this strange adventure wore on. I was also starting to resent the closet that I'd been completely in love with a few hours before. Ah, well. That's life.

As if I didn't already dislike Nikabrik enough, he had us running through the forest like maniacs to make up for the time we'd lost finding me shoes. I hate running. I could've strangled the little dwarf if his neck was long enough to fit my hands around. Unfortunately, his throat was practically nonexistent between his head and shoulders. Darn my luck.

We caught up with Prince Caspian pretty fast, though, so I guess Nikabrik can have some props for that. But not a lot. Once we had His Highness in sight, we started sneaking around like ninjas. Trufflehunter and Nikabrik, being much small than I, were much better at it, but I was doing my best to avoid stepping on twigs or rustling leaves. I must say, I felt like quite the secret agent tip toeing from tree to tree to avoid being seen. I found myself humming the James Bond theme in my head the whole time.

But I guess my best wasn't as good as I thought it was, because about an hour of stalking later I totally gave us away. Nikabrik and I were hiding behind one tree, and Trufflehunter behind another a little to our right. While I was busy humming in my head and imagining myself in a black leather cat suit somersaulting from tree to tree with a big .45mm in my hands, I miscalculated the nearness of one of the bushes at my feet. Needless to say, I stepped right on it, causing some rustling and a loud crack of a twig.

"I can hear you," Prince Caspian said, sounding pretty annoyed. Nikabrik scowled at me, then leaned out from behind the tree simultaneously with Trufflehunter. I followed their lead and smiled sheepishly.

"My bad," I apologized.

Prince Caspian looked from Trufflehunter, to Nikabrik, to me. He seemed surprised that I was with them. His train of thought was probably similar to Trufflehunter's: leave the woman safe at home. Tch, men. You have one little breakdown and they think you're entirely incompetent.

"I just think we should wait for the Kings and Queens," Trufflehunter said, stepping out from behind the tree. Nikabrik did the same, and I stepped around it, crossed my arms, and leaned against the rough surface. Prince Caspian just turned around and kept walking. "Fine! Go then! See if the others will be as understanding."

"Maybe I'll go with you," Nikabrik added, starting after him. Trufflehunter did the same. I followed the both of them a few steps behind. "I wanna see you explain things to the minotaurs."

Prince Caspian stopped and turned around. "Minotaurs? They're real?"

"And very bad tempered," Trufflehunter said.

"Not to mention big." Nikabrik seemed to be enjoying the intimidation.

"_Huge_."

The two small creatures kept walking and I fell into step next to the prince as we followed. "What about centaurs?" he asked. "Do they still exist?"

"The centaurs will probably fight on your side, but there's no telling what the others will do." Trufflehunter's tone made me a little nervous. It was a moment before I realized Prince Caspian had stopped walking, but when I did I turned around.

"What about Aslan?" he asked. Now there's a name I hadn't heard before. From the way the two Narnians froze and slowly turned around, I could tell this Aslan was probably pretty important.

"How do you know so much about us?" Nikabrik asked suspiciously.

"Stories," Prince Caspian replied simply, as if it should be obvious.

"What a minute," Trufflehunter interjected, a disbelieving tone in his voice. "Your father told you stories about Narnia?"

"No, my professor…" Prince Caspian's face fell a little, but he recovered quickly. "Listen, I am sorry, but these are not the kinds of questions you should be asking." He walked past them and I followed. Hey, I was getting more curious by the second. I'd never been so intrigued by one person before.

"What is it?" Nikabrik asked urgently, causing the prince and I to stop and turn (Haha, get it? _The Prince and I_? Hah! …Ahem…moving on). Trufflehunter was sniffing the air.

"Human," the badger said.

"Them?" Nikabrik jerked his head in our direction.

"No. Them." Trufflehunter was looking back the way we came, where old school soldiers dressed in armor and carrying crossbows were making their way through the trees toward us. Oh God, crossbows. We're fucked.

There was a series of shouting as our presence was recognized, and I felt a familiar grip around my upper arm and I was swung around and pushed in the opposite direction. "Go!" Prince Caspian yelled at the same time that Trufflehunter shouted, "Run!"

They didn't have to tell me twice. I took off in a sprint, which was a bad idea because that meant I would run out of steam pretty fast, but I was starting to feel all panicky again. I wondered if it might have been a better idea to stay in Trufflehunter's hole. An arrow whizzed past my ear and embedded itself deep in a nearby tree with an ominous _thunk_. "Oh my God!" I cried out and broke my own rule by risking a glance over my shoulder to see how close they'd gotten.

Prince Caspian was right behind me and, since I'd slowed down to look, gave me another solid push. "Don't look back. Just run." So I did what I was told- that was, I did it until I heard a cry of pain from my favorite little badger and Nikabrik say, "Oh, no." I skidded to a stop and swung around. Nikabrik was waddling back to where Trufflehunter lay, but Prince Caspian stopped him. "Wait! I will go." He rushed to the badger's aid, Nikabrik and I waiting anxiously.

Trufflehunter held Queen Susan's horn up to Prince Caspian. "Take it! Go!" he said. "It's more important than I am!" The prince took the horn and hurriedly hooked it into his belt. He then reached out to pull the arrow from the badger's hip, and as he did so several soldiers stopped only a few yards away with their crossbows trained on him. Strangely, one of the soldiers cried out and fell to the ground. Then another did the same. Prince Caspian threw Trufflehunter over his shoulder and ran back over to us. The soldiers chased after him, but it seemed that one by one they were falling to the ground seemingly for no reason at all. I didn't know what I was more afraid of- the soldiers or the new, invisible assailant.

"Get him out of here," Prince Caspian ordered as he put Trufflehunter down into the support of Nikabrik's arms. He looked up at me. "You too. Go!" As he turned around to face the oncoming soldiers, he drew his sword.

I was about to do as I was told, but then I saw the last few soldiers disappear into the brush, leaving only one who was aiming his crossbow into the bushes around him. I watched as the soldier threw the long-range weapon aside and opted for his sword, slashing violently at the foliage and screaming, "Where are you!" Moments later, the soldier cried out and fell, and the rustling of the plants moved quickly in Prince Caspian's direction. It seemed that in the time it took me to blink, the prince was on the ground, and I saw with some amusement that a mouse about the size of a small cat was sitting on his chest. The mouse used his tail to pull a tiny sword from his belt that reminded me of those little plastic swords you get in fancy drinks sometimes. It caught the sword in its paw and pointed it in Prince Caspian's face.

"Choose your last words carefully, Telmarine!" the mouse said in a weirdly intimidating voice for such a small creature. I noticed that he had a little ring of silver around his left ear from which a tiny red feather protruded. Basically, it was the cutest thing I've ever seen.

Prince Caspian was obviously bewildered. "You are a mouse," was all he could say.

The mouse sighed. "I was hoping for something a little more…original. Pick up your sword."

Prince Caspian turned his head a little so he could see the hilt of his sword next to his head, and then quickly turned back to the mouse. "Uh, no thanks."

"Pick it up! I will not fight an unarmed man!"

"Which is why I might live longer if I choose not to cross blades with you, noble mouse." This just kept getting more and more amusing.

"I said I would not fight you. I did not say I'd let you live!" The mouse jabbed his sword to enunciate his meaning.

"Reepicheep!" Trufflehunter's sudden outburst made me jump. "Stay your blade!"

"Trufflehunter?" The mouse, who I now know was called Reepicheep (how adorable!), was surprised. "I trust you have a very good reason for this untimely interruption!"

"He doesn't," Nikabrik said. "Go ahead." I put the bottom of my left foot against the dwarf's back and gave him a shove face first into the dirt, letting my calf replace him as Trufflehunter's support.

"He's the one who blew the horn!" The badger said.

Reepicheep lowered his sword. "What?"

"Then let him bring it forward," a deep voice I didn't recognize said. Turning, I saw for the first time ever a real live centaur. Seriously! He was quite the sight to see, though also pretty frightening because of how large and in charge he was. There was a sense of great dignity and power about him. Three other centaurs stood behind him. "This is the reason we have gathered."

Nikabrik, who was on his feet again, spoke up. "Dancing lawn?"

The centaur nodded. "Come. Let us go. The others, no doubt, are already waiting."

Reepicheep replaced his sword in the little metal hoop on his belt that it hung from and hopped down right at my feet. His little head tilted back as his eyes moved up my body to my face. He jumped. "Oh, a thousand pardons. I did not realize I was in the presence of a lady."

I laughed and squatted down. "Don't worry about it."

"I am greatly humbled." He put one paw under my finger and gave my first knuckle a furry kiss. "Sir Reepicheep at your service, my lady."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Sir Reepicheep. You're an excellent swordsman."

"My lady is too kind." He bowed again, stepping back. I smiled and stood up, but not before taking Trufflehunter in my arms gently.

"I'll carry you until your leg's healed up a bit," I said.

"Thank you," he said. He was a little out of breath, probably from the pain.

Prince Caspian pulled himself to his feet and picked up his sword, sheathing it as he walked over to where I was standing. He met my gaze but quickly looked away into the trees. "I am not usually so easily bested," he said.

I exchanged a look with Trufflehunter and giggled. "Am I to understand that His Highness is embarrassed?"

I could see a hint of red in his caramel cheeks. "No." We started walking in the direction that the centaurs were leading. "I was merely saying it for your benefit."

"For _my_ benefit?" I gave him a skeptical look.

"Well, as long as you are here, I do not want you to be…uneasy." He continued to stare straight ahead.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

Prince Caspian turned his head and looked into my eyes. "I want you to feel safe."

"Oh." We both looked away. There was a long, awkward silence in which the only sound was that of our feet tramping through the foliage. I blew out a jet of air. "So, uh, nice weather, huh?" Prince Caspian looked over at me and I turned my eyes up towards the sky. "Lovely."

"Yes, I suppose so," he agreed. Great. Now I feel like a toolbox, and the silence is even more awkward.

"I'll just shut up now," I said more to myself than to him. He laughed. I flinched. We continued in silence for a while, and it wasn't long before I was breathing more heavily than a chubby kid running the mile- I know because I usually was that kid. The thing is, I wasn't used to walking so much (and so quickly), and it was totally stressing me out that Prince Caspian insisted on keeping pace with me even though I was totally bringing up the rear. I think I was getting a nasty blister on the heel of my left foot too, and my arms were almost numb from carrying Trufflehunter. I kept my mouth shut, though. I didn't want to sound like a whiny brat.

When one of the centaurs appeared at my side, I almost jumped out of my skin. I hadn't even realized that he'd fallen back from the front of the group. He smiled at me kindly before speaking. "If I may, I noticed you seem to be growing weary. Might I assist you with your burden? Allow me to carry Trufflehunter on my back."

"Oh, he's not a burden!" I said. I didn't want the badger to feel bad.

Apparently he didn't feel bad at all. He was actually all too eager to change rides. "Yes, please. No offense, but I'm afraid if I stay around you two any longer I'll go mad!"

"What are you talking about?" Prince Caspian asked while I carefully set the creature down on the centaur's broad back.

"Oh, please," Trufflehunter said. "The two of you are more awkward than a cat with no whiskers! You've been making me more and more anxious ever since you commented on the weather."

I felt my cheeks start to heat up. Okay, so we were a little awkward. I couldn't help it. How are you even supposed to talk to a prince anyway? "I'm sorry?" I offered, though it was more of a question than a statement.

"Oh, bother the pair of you," was the response I received. I didn't take it personally, though. I chalked it up to his wound and the fact that the tension was so thick in the air you could build a house out of it and totally beat the Big Bad Wolf. The centaur trotted up to the front again, leaving the two of us to wallow in our awkwardness.

I stared at the ground, letting my hair fall over my shoulder and block my face. The walking seemed to go on forever. Some time later I was forced to pull my hair up to get it off of my neck because it was just so _hot_. Good thing I always have a hair tie around my wrist (which I never let anyone borrow because I'd never get it back). For what seemed like the millionth time, I adjusted the strap of my messenger bag, pulling it away from my neck where it was rubbing my skin raw.

"Why don't you let me carry that for you?" Prince Caspian's voice broke the long silence just when I was getting used to it.

I looked up. "Huh?"

"Your bag. I noticed that it was bothering you. Allow me to carry it."

"No, it's okay. Really. It's just rubbing my neck weird. I can deal."

"But you shouldn't have to," he insisted.

"I can carry my own stuff."

"I know that you can. It just seems foolish for you to do so when it is making you so uncomfortable."

I gave him a blank stare. Was he for real? "Okay, you really wanna carry it?"

"Yes."

I pulled the strap over my head and held it out to him. "Be my guest." A surprised look crossed his face as he took it. "You all right?"

"I am. It's just heavier than I expected."

"If it's too much for you to handle I'd be glad to take it back," I offered.

Prince Caspian shook his head and slung the bag across his torso, then smiled. "What do you have in this thing anyway?"

I shrugged. "Just stuff."

"What kind of stuff?"

"I dunno. Books, paper, stuff to do when I'm bored."

"Ah." He lifted the bag with a curious look on his face and moved the flap so he could look inside.

"Hey, didn't anyone ever tell you not to look through a lady's bag?"

He dropped it immediately. "I'm sorry!"

I laughed. "I'm kidding. Go right ahead, I got nothing to hide."

"Oh." He picked it up again and poked around inside. A moment later he pulled out a beat up old paperback I'd forgotten was in there. He studied the cover. "_Romeo and Juliet_?"

"Yeah. Shakespeare." Prince Caspian stared at me blankly. "You don't know Shakespeare? Oh, yeah. I forgot I'm not in Kansas anymore. He's a famous play-write where I come from."

"Oh, I see." He looked down at the book again.

"_Come, gentle night, come, loving, black-browed night/Give me my Romeo. And when I shall die/Take him and cut him out in little stars/And he will make the face of heaven so fine/That all the world will be in love with night_," I quoted wistfully.

Prince Caspian looked back up at me. "That's beautiful," he commented.

"It's from the play," I explained. "It's one of my favorite lines. _Romeo and Juliet_ is my favorite Shakespeare- but _The Taming of the Shrew_ is a close second."

"I should like to read it," he said.

"Why?"

"If you think that highly of it, then I am sure it must be good."

I blushed. "Oh. Thanks. You can borrow it if you want. I should probably warn you though, in full it is called _The _Tragedy_ of Romeo and Juliet _so the story is a little sad."

"The best ones always are." He let his fingers trace the words on the cover of the book absentmindedly, then put it in his belt. "I will read it as soon as I have the chance."

I shrugged. "Take your time. Doesn't look like I'll be going anywhere anytime soon." I looked around at the waning afternoon light while Prince Caspian continued to pick through my bag curiously.

"What is this?" he asked. When I looked over I saw that he was holding my green binder.

"That's my notebook," I explained. "Sometimes I get inspired to write or draw, so I always carry that around with me wherever I go, just in case." I watched warily as he opened it and thumbed through the pages of (mostly bad) poetry and chose one at random to read.

"_I'd like to fall into your eyes/And map the corner of your smile/Slide down the slope of your nose/And sketch the shadows in every mile_," he read aloud. I breathed in sharply. Something about the sound of my words on his lips made my heart to crazy things. His voice was smooth, and it made my writing sound a lot better than it actually was. "_Call me crazy with my compass/I just want to know your face/I want it burned into my retinas/I want you here in my embrace_." He paused and looked up at me for a moment before continuing. "_Break me down and learn my heart/Ask me anything you want/I'll give you all my honest words/I'll tell you every waking thought_." As he finished, he snapped my binder closed abruptly and stuffed it back into my bag, letting it fall to his side. He didn't say anything for a few minutes, and when he did it wasn't something I expected. "I'm sorry."

I cocked my head to the side. "For what?"

"I feel as if I've opened a door to a room I was not supposed to see."

"It's just a poem."

"It's not only that." Prince Caspian sighed heavily. "It is hard for me to comprehend…how so much passion can fit into one person."

"It's just a poem," I repeated.

A small smile graced his features as he once again fixed me with that intense stare. "You do not even see it in yourself."

"Neither does anyone else," I argued. I was getting a little anxious under his stare. He's so intriguing but so good at making me uncomfortable. I hate that!

He stopped and turned to face me full on. I stopped as well, noticing that he was no longer smiling. He lifted a hand like he wanted to touch my cheek, but instead let it rest on my shoulder. "I see it."

"Oh." That was all that I could say. I mean, there isn't really much else you can say to something like that. I started walking again and he did the same. In the west, the sun was setting. A magnificent array of colors filtered through the trees and cast a glow on the foliage. The pinks and reds lay in rippling streams that seemed almost solid. I stopped short. "Oh, look!"

Prince Caspian stopped and followed my gaze.

"I've never seen a sunset through the trees before," I commented. "It's amazing. Have you ever seen anything more beautiful?" He didn't answer, only stared as the colors slowly started to fade. I looked up at him, appreciating the way the light fell across his features. "Your Highness?"

"Yes," he said softly. "Yes, I have." He turned and continued trekking through the woods at a quick pace to catch up with the others, as we'd fallen behind a bit in the midst of our conversation.

"Oh really?" I asked disbelievingly, jogging to catch up. "What?" Prince Caspian didn't say anything, a thoughtful look on his face. "Hey, what's going on in His Majesty's head?" He turned his head suddenly to look at me.

"I wish you would stop calling me that," he said.

"Huh?"

"Your Highness and Your Majesty," he specified. "It doesn't feel right."

"But doesn't everyone call you that?"

"You misunderstand me. What I mean is that it doesn't feel right coming from _you_." He raised his eyebrows. "Please call me Caspian." Once again, I was thrown. I just couldn't figure this guy out. I missed Nathan and his simple-ness.

"Okay…Caspian," I said experimentally.

Prince Caspian- I mean, Caspian- smiled warmly. "That's better." He turned his head forward only to look back at me a moment later. He looked ethereal in the blue glow of twilight. "Oh, by the way- just then, with the sunset?"

"Yeah?"

"I could definitely see it."

**Okay so wow, I must apologize for the wait. I would have had it up earlier but today was very busy. I had choir rehearsal for the graduation ceremony from 9-11 and then I worked on this until 12 when I remembered it's Thursday so I have to work and so I worked from 1-4, then wrote about two paragraphs before I had to go to the actual grad ceremony from 5:15 to 8. After that I went out to dinner with one of my best friend in the whole world (who's graduating and leaving me behind along with my other best friend! :tears: ).**

**Needless to say, I didn't get home until about 10:30 and I've been working on this chapter ever since. It's a long one (almost 17 pages on Microsoft Word!), so I hope that can make up for the wait. I hope you all enjoyed it. Remember to review! **

**Love,**

**Hoshi**

**P.S. The poem Caspian read from her notebook was one that I actually wrote, just so you know. If the words were anyone else's but mine I would say so in one of my author's notes. :)**


	5. Chapter Five

**Yay, a new chapter already! There was a lot more I planned to put in this chapter but it got long pretty fast so I decided to save it for the next one. This one might seem like filler, but it's actually pretty important in regards to Izzy and Caspian's relationship. I want you all to really feel it. :)**

**This chapter my thanks go out to SPDVengence, Sky-Pirate325, ReinetteNarbonne, britishbabe21, Queen O' Randomness, and of course waveofbabies (who is actually my bestest buddy Haylee under an assumed name that pays homage to Teen Girl Squad) who supports me in all my literary endeavors, no matter how strange. I love you guys! Well, let's keep on truckin'! **

Chapter Five: All Fun and Games

"Argh! That hurts!"

"You're holding the hilt too tightly. Loosen your grip and the impact vibrations won't feel as strong."

"I can barely hold the thing as it is!"

"You will get used to it," Caspian replied evenly.

I pressed my lips together but did as I was told, easing my grip on the hilt of the borrowed sword. I had to hold it up with both hands and my arms were straining from the effort. The blade was a lot heavier than it had looked when Caspian effortlessly pulled it out. He was currently holding one of the centaur's swords because they were bigger than his own and I wouldn't have been able to lift it. Caspian waited until I'd rearranged my feet back into the solid stance he'd shown me.

"Remember to tuck your elbows in," he advised. "Otherwise you leave your body open to attack."

"Elbows in. Right." I adjusted accordingly.

"Ready?"

"As I'll ever be."

Caspian maneuvered the blade skillfully while I parried his attacks with all the clumsiness of a beginner. We were moving in circles over the grassy field in front of the caves of Aslan's How. Trufflehunter had told me the legacy of Aslan; how he was the highest ruler of this world and that he had always come from the east across the sea to save Narnia from many a danger. The How was a sacred temple built around the Stone Table. Caspian told me the story of the great leader's sacrifice of giving his own life right on that very table to save that of an accidental traitor who was later named King Edmund the Just. He also told me about Aslan's great return and defeat of the evil White Witch, who had kept Narnia locked in a frigid winter for hundreds of years.

After the great meeting at Dancing Lawn, I got into the habit of making Caspian tell me all the old stories his professor had told him. He didn't seem to mind. In fact, he seemed to greatly enjoy relaying the tales in great detail and with excited gestures. Personally, I just loved listening to the lilt of his voice as he spoke and watching his hands weave prose through the air in the flickering glow of the fire when we sat up late into the night.

In total, it had been two days and three nights since we'd arrived at Dancing Lawn. The meeting had been pretty stressful. For one, it started out terribly with the Narnians accusing Caspian of stealing Queen Susan's horn, among other things ("Our homes! Our freedom! Our lives!"), and Nikabrik was his usual nasty self, saying that Caspian was both accountable and punishable for the crimes of his ancestors. Thank God the prince was such a good speaker, because it seemed like the rest of the Narnians were agreeing with Nikabrik until Caspian gave a speech about how, if they joined together, he could help bring peace back to Narnia and freedom back to its people. The head centaur, that I learned was the one called Glenstorm, was the first to pledge his sword to Caspian's leadership, followed shortly by Reepicheep and then the rest of the Narnians.

I was feeling kind of proud of the young prince. What he lacked in age he made up for in maturity. You could tell he'd seen a lot in his short life, and that he had been brought up to be a strong leader. I could easily picture him as king. My inward celebration was short lived, though, when one of the cheetahs suddenly picked me out of the crowd and forced me into the center by prowling around me.

"What of this one?" she said. "You are neither Narnian nor Telmarine. From whence do you hail, small one, and what business have you in Narnia?"

I swallowed hard and opened my mouth to reply, but Caspian spoke for me. "She is a companion of mine," he said, "and anyone who does not like it may leave my army."

The cheetah turned to him. "That does not answer my question."

"She comes from the same world as the Kings and Queens of Old," Trufflehunter interjected. There was a great deal of muttering throughout the crowd.

"Then she is meant to help us? Just as they did?" a voice called from the back.

"That is my belief, yes."

The cheetah continued her circling. "But what does the small one believe?"

"Well…" I paused to gather my thoughts. "I believe that nothing happens without a purpose. It was hardly a day ago that I was tucked away safe in my bed but now I'm here and somehow something brought me here so there must be a good reason." I looked at Caspian, who was watching me, and then turned to address the whole crowd. "You might think that you can't trust me because I can't offer you an explanation for why I am here, and I don't blame you, but I think that if you give me a chance I can prove that I am not here to do you any harm." I slowly pivoted so I was facing another section of the group as I spoke. My hands were sweaty and I wiped them on my pants between arm gestures. I noticed they were shaking when I held them out beseechingly, but I tried to ignore my own nervousness.

"What if she is lying?" another voice called.

"I have no reason to lie to you!" I said desperately. "You said yourself I'm not Telmarine, so I can't be a spy, and neither am I Narnian so I can't possibly know enough about you to turn traitor even if I wanted to- which I don't! I think that you all have every right to go to war with your oppressor, and I _know_ that with Caspian leading you there isn't anything you can't do." I met his eyes for a moment and then looked away. "I know because I can see the power in him and in all of you. But even if I couldn't see it I would believe it anyway, just like I believe in light even when I'm trapped in darkness and I believe in love even when I can't feel it." For some reason my eyes found Caspian's again as I finished my rant. I let my arms fall to my sides and forced myself to look again at the Narnians. "If you want me to go I will, but I hope that you will let me stay and do what I can to help."

There was a long and anxious silence following my speech before Reepicheep stepped forward to break it. "My lady, your passionate words have filled my heart with hope. I will make it known that, should the decision be made to send you away, my people and I will follow." He bowed.

"No, Reepicheep." I shook my head. "You are needed here."

"It doesn't matter," Caspian spoke up. "You are not going anywhere." There were murmurs of agreement from the crowd and I smiled.

"Thank you."

"But we must hurry now to find soldiers and weapons," he continued. "I am sure they are already on their way." As we started to move out, Caspian leaned over to quietly speak into my ear as he passed. His breath was warm but I shivered just the same. "Do you still think that no one else can see it?" I watched as he continued on to walk beside Glenstorm so he could begin to discuss the battle that was sure to come. We walked all night, and slowly but surely the army was growing larger as more and more creatures joined us. The subject came up sometime in the early morning of where we should base our army. Trufflehunter was the one who presented the idea of using Aslan's How, and the rest of the morning was spent hiking there.

I fell asleep as soon as we got there. It didn't matter that I was lying on hard stone- I was so exhausted from all the hiking and craziness that as soon as I sat down I had to lie down and as soon as I lay down I fell asleep. When I woke up that evening I found that someone had slipped my messenger back under my head while I slept as a makeshift pillow. I didn't know who it was, but I had a hunch.

The following day had consisted of mostly setting up camp. A large cavern inside the How was converted into a forge and everyone seemed to have something to do except me. Thus, I designated myself the water-getter and started hiking back and forth between a small stream and the How, carrying buckets back to a large stone basin built into the ground of the forge. By nightfall, everything seemed to be in place, so we indulged in a bit of dancing around a fire out in the field. The fauns all pulled out fifes and skipped around to their own music. I laughed and clapped along but remained seated despite the Narnians' repeated protests. Being someone who can't walk across a flat, stable surface without falling on her face, I was well aware that dancing and I obviously didn't work well together.

But Caspian wouldn't take no for an answer. He didn't even ask, really, but just grabbed my hands, hauled me to my feet, and spun me away into the flurry of dancing creatures. For a while I forgot all about where I was and that I had two left feet. The impromptu celebration was so carefree and relaxed that my awkward movements suddenly turned into graceful leaps and twirls. I moved from partner to partner, spun by a faun, then lifted into the air by a minotaur. I couldn't help but enjoy myself. The music lifted my spirits as if by magic and as we all danced I caught myself laughing and singing in nonsense vowels and syllables that somehow made perfect sense in all the chaos.

Soon we were all singing and I found myself once again in Caspian's arms without really knowing how I got there. He held on to me longer than the others did, and spun with me through the swirling figures bathed in the fire's orange glow. His right hand rested on the small of my back and the fingers of his left were laced through mine. While we danced, my mind became a swirling mixture of music and color and pinprick stars in the velvet sky. Caspian was smiling and laughing and looking just as ridiculous as the rest of us. Just before he sent me off into the madness once again, he lifted me right off my feet spun. My feet had barely touched the ground before I was swept away again.

As the night wore on the laughter died out and the music faded to a single fife playing a slow, relaxed tune. Everyone collapsed around the fire, and I was stretched out in the thick grass staring up at the waning moon when Caspian took a seat beside me. That was when I asked him to tell me the story of the White Witch. He lounged beside me and began the tale, and I watched and listened in silent admiration. In truth I was completely mesmerized by the sound of his voice and the movement of his hands. I don't know what it was about that night- maybe it was the firelight dancing across his face or the flickering shadows accenting his cheeks- but I was suddenly very aware of how dazzled I was. The weirdest part was that I was perfectly content to simply bask in his glow. And he really did glow. Not that eerie green radioactive kind of glowing- no way. Caspian's glow was more like the feeling of the sun on your face on a warm summer day. His enthusiasm and childlike adoration of the wonderful figures in his stories made him radiate a warmth that was irresistible.

He also seemed rather pleased to have my attention, and I couldn't help feeling pleased that Caspian was pleased. The story didn't wind down until most of the Narnians around us had already drifted into a peaceful slumber. When he did finish, he lay next to me and pointed out different constellations and planets and explained what they meant to someone who watched the stars for signs of what was to come. I found that I was quite happy that the initial awkwardness between us had subsided. Caspian was turning out to be every bit as fascinating as I had predicted. That night, I fell asleep to the lullaby of his voice.

And that brings us to this morning. As soon as I had woken, Trufflehunter offered me a bit of bread and cheese, which I accepted gratefully. I wandered around in the trees while I ate and wondered at how glorious I felt despite having a minimal amount of sleep. My mind replayed the events of the night before and I smiled. It had been like a dream within a dream, but I knew I had lived it. The clash of metal on metal interrupted my pondering, and I rushed out of the trees thinking that something was wrong only to find Caspian sparring with one of Glenstorm's sons. I sat and watched them for a while, noting the powerful muscles at work beneath the fur of the centaur's flank. If it came down to it, I knew that one kick from those rear legs would kill a man, helmet or no.

Inevitably, my eyes fell on Caspian. At first I was simply contemplating our unlikely friendship and wondering what it was that seemed to draw me to his side. Like this morning, for example. I was wandering aimlessly and somehow still found myself in his presence once again. In the midst of my thoughts I started noticing other things, like the way his eyebrows drew together in concentration and he scrunched up his nose when he parried an attack. I also noticed that his shirt was significantly dampened with perspiration and was clinging to his torso so that the shape of his lean but muscled chest was clearly visible. I saw the grace in his movements; the way he wielded his sword and dodged certain attacks looked more like dancing than fighting. I saw the thrill in his eyes and the determination in his gritted teeth. There was a distinct flush to his cheeks that I was certain had as much to do with excitement as it did with physical exertion. My eyes followed a bead of sweat as it trailed across the dark caramel plane of his cheek, over his jaw and down the curve of his neck and disappeared beneath the collar of his shirt.

While I was noticing these things, I started to feel…weird. A sensation I didn't recognize coiled in the pit of my stomach and moved in calculated doses to the tips of my fingers and toes. I swallowed hard and tried to think about Nathan. The little reminder of my almost-boyfriend eased the strangeness coursing through my veins a little and replaced it with trace amounts of guilt. I shouldn't be reacting this way to Caspian. Nathan is the one I should be thinking about. He is the one I should be missing. Truthfully, I hadn't thought about him once since the walk to Dancing Lawn, and I wasn't really proud of it. There had to be something wrong with me. I mean, I love Nathan, right? I should miss him, right?

A round of cheering among the watching centaurs drew me out of my miserable inner conflict and I realized that Caspian had lost the sparring match. His sword stood, still quivering, stuck in the ground a few feet away from me. Caspian was good-humored, though, and they clapped each other on the shoulder.

"All right, you have won this time," he said after a short laugh. "Through luck and luck alone!" Caspian was teasing his opponent in a friendly manner, and the centaur laughed and responded accordingly with the expected "You wish it was luck!"

After a few more playful jibes, Caspian walked over and collapsed in the grass next to me, snatching a water gourd off of the ground as he came. After he took a long drink, he drew the back of his hand across his forehead and gave me a warm smile that brought the weirdness back full force. "Yet again you witness my defeat," he said. "You will never feel safe with me at this rate."

"Well there's always Reepicheep," I chided. He raised his eyebrows and laughed. I liked his laugh a little too much.

"Yes, I suppose there is always him." Caspian took another drink of water and stretched out in the grass with his hands behind his head and his eyes closed. "I still wish it could be me."

"You're better than you give yourself credit for," I said. He opened one eye so I could see him roll it and then closed it again. "No, really!"

"You can only say that because you know nothing about sword fighting," he replied.

"Then why don't you teach me?" I suggested. Caspian's eyes opened and he pushed himself up so he was leaning on his forearms.

"You want me to teach you how to handle a sword?" He sounded uncertain.

"Why not? I can't think of anyone better. You're the closest one to my size."

"I'm still bigger than you," he pointed out. "And I am not the best swordsman here."

"Oh woe is you," I said sarcastically. "You may be bigger than me but I imagine if I tried to learn from Glenstorm the result would probably be far more disastrous. And think of it this way, if you can teach me to use a sword then you'll have proved that you're not as bad as you seem to think I think you are, and if I lose a hand or something I will let you wallow in self pity all you want and I'll even insult you properly if you'd like."

Caspian pressed his lips together thoughtfully and stared out into the field. After a beat, he sat up completely. "All right."

And that is how I found myself bobbing and weaving to avoid getting my arm sliced off. Of course, I knew that would never happen. Caspian was skilled, and knew just how far he could go without hurting me, just how far he could push before he had to back down. "Parry. Good! Block and step. No, you want to step as the blades connect to avoid a rebound swipe. Try again. Great!" That, and metal on metal, were the only sounds coming from us as we moved about the field. It was incredibly difficult to concentrate on my movements and listen to Caspian's directions at the same time. I was clumsy with the sword, even holding it with two hands. Sometimes I dropped it, or stumbled, but Caspian would wait patiently until I had righted myself before continuing his onslaught of careful attacks. At one point our blades connected right at the hilt and he smiled at me through the "v" they made. "You are getting better."

"I guess…that means…I win," I replied between heavy breaths.

"Not everything is a competition, Isabella," Caspian replied, and then disarmed me with one easy twirl of his wrist. I fell backwards and landed hard on my butt and stared up at him in bewilderment. He took one look at me and doubled over with laughter, dropping the sword at his side.

"Hey! Don't laugh at me!" I grabbed a handful of grass and threw it at him.

"I am sorry," Caspian said, calming his laughter to a silent shaking of his shoulders. "It was just…the look on your face." He started laughing again. I was suddenly reminded of the way my brother always tortured me when I was little. Did I forget to mention him too? That's probably because he's 28 and moved out years ago and is currently working for a computer company that has him traveling a lot for some reason. Anyway, the familiarity of the situation caused a familiar reaction. I hooked my feet around Caspian's ankles and pulled his own feet right out from under him- literally. He came down harder than I did, but that's what he gets for laughing at me!

I jumped on him instinctively, straddling his hips and pinning his arms down the way I would have trapped my brother. Of course, I never actually trapped him since I was much younger and smaller, but he pretended to humor me. Returning to the events at hand, I found myself smirking down at Caspian's shocked expression. "Oh, how the mighty have fallen!" I teased. His face rearranged to show playful annoyance.

"That was not very fair," he said. "You attacked an unarmed man while he was distracted. Both are dishonorable and neither are chivalrous, Isabella."

"Yeah, well, you did that swirly sword thingy while I was distracted," I replied. "Eye for an eye. You had it coming. Besides, I never said I was honorable _or_ chivalrous."

Caspian rolled his eyes. "Fine. Will you get off of me now?"

I pretended to consider it. "Hm…nope! I don't think I will."

"Why not?" he asked in alarm.

"'Coz I'm enjoying the power far too much!" I replied in a tone that said it should have been obvious. "Hey, are you ticklish?"

"No!"

"That means you are!" I let go of his wrists and attacked his sides instead, which was equally disarming.

Caspian laughed and grabbed at my hands. "S-stop!"

"Cry mercy!"

"What!?

"Say it!"

"No!"

"Then I will continue to punish you in this incredibly demeaning way until all of your troops notice and you get nicknamed something patronizing that will follow you out onto the battlefield where your opponents will hear it and then they'll-" I didn't get to finish my threat, because Caspian grabbed my shoulders while I was distracted with my rant and rolled us over with unexpected ease. The tables had suddenly turned and I found myself pinned between him and the ground. He didn't put his full weight on me. He was actually more leaning over me than lying on top of me, and he pinned my wrists on either side of my head like I'd done to him and supported most of his weight on his knees.

But he was still close enough to make that little snake in my stomach send a shot of venom through my system.

I couldn't do anything but stare up at him. He was breathing heavily from laughing, and the warmth of it curled across my lips and jaw. His hair had fallen over his shoulders, and a few strands of it moved with his breath. I noticed his scent- a distinct medley of fire, sweat, and earth that sent my senses spiraling out of control.

For a moment, Caspian looked just as disconcerted as I felt, but he regained his composure faster than I could. "Cry mercy," he demanded huskily.

I blinked. "If I say it, will you get off of me?"

"Yes."

"Then no." The words were out of my mouth before I could think and I immediately wished I could grab them, stuff them back in, and swallow them. Caspian's expression went through three different emotions in quick succession. The first was surprise, the second was one that I didn't recognize, and the third was something resembling… resolve? He released my wrists and rolled off of me. I slowly sat up and saw that he was sitting with one arm resting on his bent knee while he pinched the bridge of his nose between the thumb and forefinger of his other hand. I flushed at my own audacity. "I'm sorry." I looked down at my hands awkwardly. The atmosphere had gone from relaxed and playful to tense and awkward in barely a minute.

"Don't be," Caspian said. He rubbed his face with both hands before looking at me. "I got carried away."

"I think if anyone got carried away, it was me."

He shook his head. "You have no idea." His voice was cryptic, and another awkward silence followed. Finally, he got to his feet and held out a hand to help me up. "Come. There are plans to be made and we will be expected at the meeting."

I took the offered hand and spoke as he pulled me up. "Meeting?"

Caspian nodded towards something that was behind me, and when I turned around I saw that some of the Narnians were making their way down into the How. "We have to discuss how we will procure more weapons."

"Can't we make some?" I asked as I turned back around.

"We do not have the necessary supplies," Caspian replied. He stooped down to retrieve his sword and slid it into its sheath. He then grabbed the other sword and we started walking towards the How. "We have some scrap metal, but only enough to make a dozen swords at the most. There would be none left over for armor or shields. We will have to find them elsewhere."

"So you mean we have to commandeer said weapons?"

"Commandeer?"

"It's a nautical term. Fancy way of saying "steal.""

Caspian smiled. "Then yes, we will need to "commandeer" said weapons. Luckily, there is an encampment only a few miles east of here on the banks of the Great River." We came to the stone path leading down into the How, and Caspian turned to walk alongside the centaur whose sword he carried so that he could return it. He then fell back into step with me. "If we leave at sunset we can make it there by midnight and, if everything goes according to plan, we will be in and out in an hour or two and on our way without anyone noticing. I am hopeful that we will be well on our way back at dawn the latest."

"Well it seems like you've got it all down to a science," I commented.

"I suppose so." We came to the forge, where the heads of each Narnian race had already gathered. I took a seat off to the side next to my bag so I could quietly observe. I took out my notebook and a pencil with the intention of doodling a rather unflattering caricature of my least favorite dwarf, but found myself instead trying to accurately portray the slope of Caspian's nose and the shadows cast beneath his cheekbones. He was explaining his plan to the group, and was therefore completely oblivious to my concentrated stare. I was so intent on drawing that the meeting passed by and I never even heard what the outcome was. Actually, I didn't realize it was over until I looked up to study the lock of hair that kept falling in Caspian's face and he wasn't there.

"Isabella?" I jumped at the sound of his voice above me and shut my notebook hastily.

"Yeah?" I looked up at him with the most innocent expression I could manage.

He was holding his hand out to me. "We are leaving at sunset. I need you to help make sure that every soldier that is coming has a full water pouch for the journey there and back. I doubt there will be a safe place to refill at the river."

I took his hand and was once again hauled to my feet. "Okay." He immediately started walking towards the exit.

"Then I need you to eat something substantial. Not just bread and cheese. Have Trufflehunter warm up some of that soup from the other night."

"Why?"

Caspian paused and looked over his shoulder. "It's a long walk to Beruna and back."

"You mean I get to come? Like, without an argument?" I let myself get a little excited. It would be a lie if I said I wasn't doing Snoopy dances inside my head.

"Trufflehunter told me about how you convinced him to let you come along." He turned to face me full on. "You should know that I am not so easily fooled." Hah, we'll see about that Mr. Smooth. With a small smile, he continued on his way out, speaking into the tunnel so it echoed back to me. "Anyway, I want you to get it out of your system before we have to do something _really_ dangerous."

**I know, I know, a little fluffy but I couldn't help myself. I hope you liked it anyway. Please do take a moment to review! I live off of reviews! I eat them at every meal so I may starve if you don't let me know what you think! Hehe.**

**Love, **

**Hoshiko!**


	6. Chapter Six

**I'm a little nervous about this chapter. Unfortunately, I think some of you won't really like it but please don't grab your torch and pitchforks just yet! This is mostly for a glimpse into the darker parts of Izzy's personality. She's not all sarcasm and rainbows! If she were, I wouldn't be doing my job. I hope I managed this without it becoming too generic though. The last thing I want is an angsty Mary Sue.**

**My sincere appreciation goes to Sky-Pirate325, Haylee, romantic.dreamer26, Queen O' Randomness, and last but not least, chnoelle! I live off of your support, so a thousand thanks to you! Now I guess it's on to the inevitable… Let's boogie!**

Chapter Six: Like Ghosts in the Night

"No. Absolutely not."

I crossed my arms and rolled my eyes. Caspian was being completely unreasonable. "Why did you even take me if you want me to just sit back and watch?" I hissed. We were crouched low in the shadows of the forest a few yards away from the encampment. The night watchman was clearly visible patrolling the border of the camp closest to the woods. "If you send someone in to take him out where he is the chance of the other soldiers noticing our presence are too high. If he cries out or even hits the ground a little too hard I'm sure there's at least a dozen soldiers nearby trained to wake up at the slightest noise. If I can lure him into the woods then he can be easily dispatched without the risk of waking anyone up."

"She has a point, sire," Reepicheep agreed in a low voice. "And she does have the best chance of fooling the guard. I am sure a distressed minotaur would not work half as well."

Caspian set his jaw defiantly. "How do you know that he will not kill you on the spot?"

I shrugged. "I don't. But it's worth a shot and I'm willing to take the risk." It wasn't like the thought didn't scare me; I just wanted to be of some use other than taking up space.

"What if I am not?" he snapped. Ugh, here comes that awkwardness again. Luckily we had Reepicheep, who was oblivious to the tension, to keep us in check.

"I too am hesitant to send the lady into harms way," the mouse said, "but it is also apparent to me that there is no other logical choice."

"See?" I insisted.

"What would you tell him?" Caspian asked doubtfully.

"That's easy. I'm a frightened lass from Beruna whose been searching for her little sister who ran off into the woods after an argument. She's stuck in a tree nearby, so I ran for help."

"It is a believable story," Reepicheep commented. "And it is unlikely that even a soldier would expect treachery from a woman."

"Which is why I'm perfect for the job!" I was becoming frustrated with everyone's idea that I can't do anything, and I let it show on my face and in my hushed voice. It appeared that Reepicheep was the only one willing to let me earn my keep.

Caspian closed his eyes and took a deep, cleansing breath before opening them again and studying my determined expression. "I still don't like it," he said, "but if that is what it will take to quench your thirst for danger then very well." I smiled smugly, but he grabbed my arm as I turned to go. "But, Isabella…" I looked back at him over my shoulder. "The next time I advise you not to get involved I expect your cooperation."

I sighed. "Yeah, yeah, yeah. You're starting to sound like my father." I opted for the more generic term because they weren't familiar with the word "dad" in Narnia. Caspian flinched and released my arm. "All right!" I saluted him and Reepicheep, then winked. "Watch and learn, suckas!"

Deliberately mussing up my hair, I spun around and stumbled out of the bushes and into the moonlight. The watchman's attention was immediately caught, and he gripped the hilt of his sword as he warily eyed my approach. "Oh, sir!" I put my hand over my heart and pretended to be out of breath. "Oh, please, you must help me!"

"Who are you?" he asked in a quiet voice as I approached. When I got nearer, I realized that he was rather young, maybe in his mid-twenties, and he had an attractively rugged air about him with his stubbly cheeks and shaggy hair.

"Please, sir, my name is Anna," I said. "I am from Beruna, and I have been searching all night in the woods for my sister!" I kept my voice low and husky as I spoke, and collapsed against him as soon as I was near enough. "I ran all this way to find help. My poor baby sister is stuck in a tree not far from here."

The soldier shifted uncertainly and grabbed my shoulders so he could hold me at arms length and look me over. "I am not supposed to leave my post," he said finally.

"Please, sir, I will do anything!" I pleaded. This sparked his interest, and his eyebrows immediately went up.

"Anything?"

His expression gave me an idea. I met his gaze steadily and said in the huskiest voice I could manage, "Anything."

He considered my offer, releasing my shoulders. A moment later he turned towards the encampment. "Perhaps I should get someone to help me assist you."

I grabbed his arm and pulled him back. "No!" He gave me an alarmed look, so I tried to make up for my outburst by pressing my body against his and toying with a strand of his hair. "I mean, surely anyone you call upon would wish to share in the…benefits of helping me." I traced the curve of his ear with the tip of my finger. "But if you really want to share your reward, I suppose you could go and get someone…"

The man was torn between his duty as a soldier and his human desires. I was surprised at how easily I had won him over. I'd never tried using my feminine wiles to get what I wanted before, but now that I know it works…

"Perhaps," the soldier breathed, "if I had an idea of what this…reward…may consist of, my decision would be more easily made."

I was glad he was young and relatively attractive, because it would have been very hard for me to keep up my façade otherwise. I smiled coyly and traced a line down his jaw with my finger. "Of course," I whispered, leaning in so that he could feel my breath against his mouth. "As I said, to help my sister, I will do…anything." When I kissed him, I tried to pretend he was Nathan, but it was hard to do when the soldier smelled like sweat and rum instead of Axe body spray. Regardless, I let him envelope me in his arms and allowed a little tongue action to keep him interested. I slid my fingers into his hair and tried not to think about how greasy it felt or how badly I wanted to pull away and run. Instead, I slowly broke the kiss, brushing my teeth over his lower lip as I did so.

The soldier looked dazed. It took him a second to collect himself, and when he did he couldn't quite hide his excitement. "Show me the way," he said. I smiled and, taking his hand, lead him back to the forest and into the trees. It was amazing how easy it had been. A few steps into the darkness, he asked, "How far, did you say?" But I didn't have to answer because just as he finished his question the hilt of a sword came down hard on the top of his head and I let go of his hand as he crumpled to the ground. Caspian stepped out of the shadows, looking kind of annoyed, and Reepicheep appeared to tie the soldier's ankles and wrists.

"I hope you enjoyed yourself," Caspian said in a voice so low it was almost a growl.

I crossed my arms and narrowed my eyes. "Excuse me?" He didn't reply. Instead, he turned and signaled through the trees to the other troops that the coast was clear. There was movement in the shadows as the Narnians started to move into the encampment. Reepicheep did what he did best by slipping away into the brush.

Caspian turned back around to face me. "I am going to help. Stay here and make sure your new _friend _doesn't wake up."

I swallowed a retort and instead asked, "What do I do if he does?" …Which was a mistake.

"I don't care," Caspian snapped. "Why don't you just _kiss_ him again?"

He disappeared before I could reply, which was probably a good thing because if I'd had the chance to I would have been yelling. Who does he think he is? Sure, we've had some weird moments, but it's not like he ever once showed any sign that he reciprocated the slight attraction. He was acting like a little kid. Fine. If he wants to act like a child he can go right ahead. See if I care. Besides, it wasn't like I even liked him that much anyway. I appreciated his appearance as much as any other girl would, but did I actually have _feelings_ for Caspian? No way. My heart already belongs to someone; his name is Nathan Powell and he has lovely blonde hair and green eyes that match mine perfectly (which, of course, means we are meant to be) and his favorite show is _Aqua Teen Hunger Force_. I love _Nathan_! Nathan, Nathan, Nathan! I shouldn't even care what Prince Pretty Boy thinks! But for some reason Caspian's reaction still pissed me off.

"Stupid Caspian," I mumbled. "Stupid watchman with his stupid libido. Stupid Freud and his stupid theories." I crossed my arms and sat down pretzel-style in front of said stupid soldier so I could watch him and the silent flurry of activity beyond the edge of the trees. A squirrel jumped out of a bush beside me and cocked its head in curiosity at the crazy human talking to herself. "I hate men," I told it. "All they ever do is annoy women. If you ask me, we should just keep them underground and only let them out once a year for breeding purposes." I nodded my head in satisfaction. "That's exactly what we should do. Then they wouldn't be around to watch movies with their ex-girlfriends, or think with the wrong head, or act like a complete _a-hole_!" The squirrel jumped at my suddenly heated words and scampered off into the woods. "Good! Run away while you can! And never let yourself fall in love. It's totally overrated and annoying!" I sighed. "Great. Now we're talking to squirrels."

I sat there silently fuming for what felt like hours. Once, the soldier started to come around, so I used my anger as a catalyst for power behind the punch I delivered to the side of his head. He was once again out like a light, but rivulets of pain curled up my arm. I never knew that punching someone could hurt so much. I shook my hand out, growing even more annoyed because of it. The night seemed to be growing darker. A cloud covered the small sliver of moon for a moment, and when it moved I could see that the curve of silver was falling behind the trees on the far side of the river. I looked around. It must've been getting close to three in the morning. It was always darkest at three- the demonic witching hour according to the Bible…and _The Exorcism of Emily Rose_…but either way it's still really dark.

"What's taking them so long?" I asked the soldiers unconscious form. Obviously I received no answer. "You're boring. And a bad kisser."

"Isabella." I almost jumped out of my skin at the sound of Caspian's voice above me. I scrambled to my feet and glared at him.

"Stop sneaking up on me!" I hissed.

"We are leaving," he said blandly, handing me a sack filled with arrows. "Unless you would rather stay with your friend." He nodded to the limp form of the watchman.

I grabbed the bag from him and slung it over my shoulder, opening my mouth to tell him exactly _where_ he could shove his bad attitude, but in the end I thought better of it and, instead of a slew of curses in varying languages, what came from my lips was a curt, "Do me a favor and let me know when you're done being a jerk." I brushed past him, purposely knocking into his shoulder as I did, and hurried to catch up with the group. Caspian stayed at the back of the strange parade to keep a lookout or whatever, so I decided to walk up front with the head minotaur, Rusself. As we marched through the woods, Rusself launched into a long and detailed description of all the ways he knew of to kill an attacker. I'm not really sure what he was saying, because I wasn't actually paying attention. I felt pretty bad afterwards but I couldn't help it. I was still "breathing steam" as my mother would say. That's what she calls the length of time during which I'm still angry about something because I pretty much walk around stiffly, flaring my nostrils and refusing to speak to anyone. It's pretty weird, but Rusself didn't seem to mind. He kept talking anyway. I think he realized at some point that I wasn't listening, because his voice dwindled and faded. All of the sudden he remembered that he was meant to be looking out for danger ahead, and he quickened his pace so he was ahead of me. I was a little relieved. When I'm mad I like to wallow in it by myself.

Sometime near dawn I started to grow tired from tramping all over the place on only the few hours of sleep from the night before, as well as carrying around the exhausting weight of my anger (not to mention the bag of arrows). My pace slowed and I wound up near the back of the party, but by then I didn't care if I was near Caspian as long as he didn't talk to me or walk too close. He was behind me, so I couldn't even see him in my peripherals, which was a plus. Reepicheep walked alongside me, chattering about how sorry he was that he was too small to carry my load for me. I spent a long time assuring him that I was fine before he shut up about it. The mouse was doing great for a small creature, lugging behind him an assortment of foods in a brown sack. His enthusiasm, in addition to the approaching dawn, seemed to curb my bad mood a little. As the sun rose, I stopped to watch the fantastic array of colors streaming through the trees. It was similar to the sunset several nights before, but the way the light shot up to fill the sky instead of slowly disappearing below the horizon made it feel more like a hopeful beginning than a resigned goodbye.

My spirits rose a little more. Who cares what stupid Caspian thinks? I was in this amazing world on this fantastic adventure and I was wasting my time dwelling on the twisted inner workings of a teenage boy. Honestly, I didn't know what was wrong with me. I was still pissed, but a small smile fell across my lips at the heartening revelation. I started walking again, keeping my eyes on the yellow glow spreading across the wood. That was probably why I saw him before the others did.

For a moment I thought I was dreaming, because at first glance I could have sworn it was Nathan crouched and approaching Rusself with his sword drawn. I blinked rapidly and my vision focused and I realized that the boy was someone else entirely, though he had a slight resemblance to my kind-of-boyfriend. Before I could call out a warning, Caspian jumped out of nowhere, delivering a hard blow with his sword. The light haired boy had fantastic reflexes, deflecting the attack with fluid motions. I rushed through the foliage along with the rest of the Narnians, and got to the clearing in time to see Caspian's sword fly out of his hand. The other boy continued his attack, swinging first for the legs (dodged with a jump) and then the head (dodged with a duck). His sword continued until it hit a tree and was embedded deeply into the trunk. He tried to pull it out, but Caspian sent him flying with a hard kick to the stomach and turned around to try and retrieve the sword himself.

Now, maybe I was still pissed off at Mr. Drama King, but that didn't mean I wanted him to _die_. Or, at least, if anyone did kill him, I wanted it to be me and not this random boy. So, when Blondie picked up a huge rock and moved to bash it against the back of Caspian's head (which was a lot more dishonorable than tripping someone when they're distracted by laughter, if you ask me), I dropped the arrows and dove forward before I could lose my nerve and threw myself, arms out, between the two boys, screaming, "DON'T," at the same time that another female voice yelled, "No, stop!" I'm not sure what I thought I was going to do when that rock came swinging at my face instead of Caspian's, but fortunately I didn't have to because everyone froze at the joint sound of my voice and the mystery girls'.

The blonde boy stared at me in complete shock for several tense moments. I heard Caspian pull the sword out of the tree and then he was putting himself between me and the rock-toting stranger, the tip of the blade forcing him back a step. The boy looked away from me, down at the sword, and then around us, noticing for the first time that we were surrounded by Narnians who were all armed and ready to jump to our rescue if we needed it. Blondie's eyes moved back to mine for a moment and then to Caspian's. I couldn't help noticing what a lovely shade of blue they were. His face changed to one of disbelieving recognition.

"Prince…Caspian?" His voice was laden with just as much doubt as his expression.

"Yes," Caspian replied in an intimidating tone I hadn't heard him use before. "And who are you?"

"Peter!" Yet another female voice called out, drawing our attention to the right, where a girl about my age and a dark-haired boy a little younger than I was came running into view followed by- surprise of all surprises- the dwarf who had run off toward the soldiers on that first night that I had arrived. They drew level with a young girl of maybe eleven or twelve years that I hadn't noticed before. I guessed she was the other person who had yelled.

Caspian looked down at the sword in his hand, then back up at the boy. "High King Peter?" It was our turn to be disbelieving.

"No way!" I exclaimed. They ignored me.

"I believe you called?" Blondie, who as it turned out _was_ High King Peter, said in a British accent. My absolute favorite accent ever. Ah!

"Yes but…I thought you'd be older," Caspian replied.

"Well if you'd like, we could come back in a few years-"

"No! It's just…you're not exactly what I expected."

"Neither are you," interjected the dark haired boy.

"No kidding," I commented, crossing my arms. Both boys suddenly remembered my presence. I was getting pretty tired of people forgetting about my existence. It's awfully bad for the self-esteem. Seriously.

The newly arrived king offered me his hand and a smile. "I'm High King Peter. The Magnificent. I don't think I've met you yet."

"I wish he'd quit saying the last part," the older girl said.

I stepped around Caspian to accept his handshake. "High School Student Izzy," I said. "The Invisible."

"You are certainly not invisible," he replied. I blushed, more because of the fact that he looked so much like Nathan (except his hair was a little darker and his face a little rounder) than anything else. I dropped his hand and allowed Caspian to step between us again.

"If I may," Reepicheep piped up, stepping into the clearing. High King Peter turned around to look at him. "We have anxiously awaited your return, my liege. Our hearts and swords are at your service." The mouse bowed deeply.

"Oh my gosh, he is so cute!" the youngest girl voiced my own opinion exactly.

"Who said that!" Reepicheep drew his sword and hopped around. I giggled behind my hand.

The girl looked at him sheepishly. "Sorry."

"Oh, uh, Your Majesty! With the greatest respect, I do believe courageous, courteous, or chivalrous might more befit a night of Narnia." He put away his tiny sword as he spoke, and my heart swelled with affection. If I didn't know it would greatly offend him, I would have scooped Reepicheep up into a big hug right then and there.

"Well," High King Peter said, "at least we know some of you can handle a blade."

Oh, no he did not! That was definitely a stab aimed at Caspian. In the immortal words of Stephanie Tanner; how rude!

Reepicheep didn't seem to notice. "Yes indeed," he continued. "And I have recently put it to good use securing weapons for your army, sire."

"Good." I was so intent on glaring at the back of High King Peter's head that I almost forgot to rearrange my face into an innocent expression when he turned around to talk to Caspian. "Because we're going to need every sword we can get."

"Well, then," Caspian replied, "you will probably be wanting yours back." Ohhhh! Burn! Game point, set, and match. High King Peter took his sword and sheathed it, looking annoyed. I almost laughed. I mean, he _did _start it.

We all started walking again. Caspian picked up his sword as he passed it and put it in his sheath. He fell into step beside me as I grabbed my bag of arrows, so I pointedly looked the other way. "Don't do that again," he said.

Okay, curiosity got the better of me. "Do _what_ again?"

"What you just did. Getting involved in that fight was dangerous. You could have gotten hurt."

"He was about to bash your head in with a rock!" I exclaimed.

"And it could have been yours instead!" He raised his voice at me for the first time, which made me angry all over again.

"Fine! Next time I'll just let your pretty little brains get splattered all over the ground! Hell if I care!" I yelled, throwing my arms up. I probably don't have to say that our argument drew more than a little attention. "You are completely impossible!"

"I am impossible? _I _am impossible?" By that point, he was yelling too. "_You_ are the impossible one! You cannot keep throwing yourself blindly into dangerous situations! Especially since you have no idea what you're dealing with!" Most of the Narnians around us were deliberately looking away and trying to pretend they couldn't hear us fighting. The two girls, who I guessed to be Queen Susan and Queen Lucy, were walking behind us with the dark-haired boy who had to be King Edmund. All three of them kept casting each other anxious looks.

"What is your _problem_?" I asked desperately.

"My problem is that you keep doing stupid things like jumping into sword fights and kissing strange men!"

"Is _that_ what this is about?" Caspian didn't answer. He looked away, flexing his fingers in aggravation. "You. Are. _Ridiculous_." My voice dropped back to normal volume, but stayed just as venomous.

His head whipped around. "_What_?"

"Let me say this real slow so you can understand," I said through gritted teeth. If he'd known me longer, he would have been aware that I was most volatile when I stopped screaming and started talking through my teeth. "You. Are. Completely. _Out of your mind_!"

"You're calling me crazy now?" he snapped.

"If you're acting like a huge jerk because I kissed some random soldier, then yes, I am calling you crazy." My voice was deadly low.

Caspian's tone matched mine. "You approached an armed man in the middle of the night and seduced him. He could have done anything to you. Who's the crazy one here?" That one hit a nerve. I stopped in my tracks.

"Don't call me crazy," I warned.

He whirled around. "You are right. You aren't crazy. _You _cannot _possibly _be _anything_ less than _insane_!" My hand connected with his cheek before my brain even had the chance to process the possible consequences of my actions. Everyone around us stopped and stared, but they were only static around my vision. All I could see clearly was Caspian, and even his profile was fuzzy because before him I saw all the terrible things I wanted to do, heard all the nasty things I wanted to say, and felt all the ugly emotions exploding in my chest at the same time. This is what it means to truly see red. This is anger. This is wrath. It scared me, but even that couldn't keep me from thinking and feeling the things I was. _He doesn't know, _said the rational part of my brain. _It's not his fault. He doesn't know._ She was ignored.

Slowly, Caspian's hand went to his cheek, and then his head turned and I could see the look of complete and utter shock etched into those features I had so admired only hours before. Now, I had to fight back the vicious part of me that desired to rip them right off his skull. I closed my eyes, trying to think of something- _anything _that would calm the raging beast inside of me. It was a creature I had not had to fight in a long time. I'd forgotten what to do to tame it. I thought of Shakespeare, of _Romeo and Juliet_. The soft smooth words swirled through my head and slowly I came down.

When I opened my eyes, everyone was staring at me. Some looked frightened, others concerned. Caspian still looked like he couldn't believe that I had actually hit him. All of the anger in me had died and left me numb. I wasn't even embarrassed to have everyone's eyes on me. I was empty. Some doors are meant to be locked and never opened again, and this would-be King just kicked down the worst of mine and let out all of the things I'd spent years learning to shut away.

I locked eyes with Caspian, and something brought the most ugly phrase in the human language up to my lips. I tried not to say it, but along with my anger so went my control. The words rolled off of my tongue, sharp and bitter, as I walked past him and spoke softly so only he could hear.

"I hate you."

They left a terrible taste in my mouth.

**There. I did it. It had to be done. I'm sorry. Please don't shoot me! Just remember the story is a romance, so any angst along the way is just a little part of the big picture! Reviews are nice, but I do expect some yelling.**

**-Hoshiko**


	7. Chapter Seven

**Thanks are first this chapter! Yay! Here's to LittleSquirt1, Well-Yeah-There's-That, Dean's Leather Jacket, Queen O' Randomness, Sky-Pirate325, romantic.dreamer26, Haylee-chan, and chnoelle. You guys, as always, are the best!**

**Just to warn you, the angst is upped a bit in the beginning of this chapter, but I'm sure by the end of it you'll walk away with a smile on your face. I mean, this chapter's got it all! Paranoia, friendship, hugs, and a little Shakespeare.**

**Who could ask for anything more?**

**But it is a little shorter than usual. I was planning to put more in here but as I was writing what is now the end I decided that it was a good way to end it. All righty. Let's keep on truckin'!**

Chapter Seven: Cry Mercy

All I wanted was for everyone to just go away. I could feel them all watching me; always wary, always wondering when I'll snap again. I hated it. I hated what I'd done and I hated the way everyone started walking on eggshells whenever they were around me. Most would just keep a five foot distance from me at all times, but a select few risked catching my crazy by coming close and trying to talk to me. I didn't want to talk to them. All I wanted was to be left alone. I knew what they were up to, the ones that talked to me. They all wanted to learn my secrets and use them against me. I'd already made the mistake of breaking down in front of them. There was enough ammunition in that to torture me, but they wanted more. I hated them.

I hated Susan and her sympathetic eyes. I hated Peter and his concerned stare. I hated Lucy and her innocent attempts to comfort me through childish things like hugs. I hated Edmund and his insistence on talking to me all the time. But most of all, I hated Caspian and his indifference.

We avoided each other, which was fine by me. I never wanted to hear his voice again. I didn't want to listen to his stories and interpretations of the stars. I didn't want to hear his kind corrections of my form with a sword. I didn't want to hear the bell of his laugh. Never again- but God, how I wanted to do all of those things at once.

I was a walking contradiction. Nothing in my mind made sense anymore. Thoughts were incomplete, memories had missing pieces. I could hardly put together the right signals to walk, eat, talk. Every time I tried to pull myself back I was interrupted by echoes of what I had done.

_What is your problem?_

_Don't call me crazy._

_I hate you._

I probably deserved to be miserable. But that didn't mean they had to watch me like they did. It made my skin crawl. I retreated to a dark room off of the forge and did nothing. They needed to stay away. I knew exactly what was happening to me. If anyone got to close I knew exactly what I would do.

First I would confide. I would let them think they'd broken through the barrier and helped me. Once they were hooked, I'd reel them in with false words, epic lies. Eventually they would bend, break, become a victim.

It's what I do when I lose myself. I lose my morals. I lose my light. I lose my conscience.

I lose my mind.

_Don't call me crazy._

I closed my eyes and begged the echoes to fade. It was a never-ending clash of words back and forth against my skull. I covered my ears, but they only got louder. I wanted to pull them out myself, but something stopped me from tearing my hair out to get at my brain. A new voice, not my own, rose above the chaos inside my mind.

_It is hard for me to comprehend how so much passion can fit into one person._

That's easy. Take a look at my arms. The burn marks from the stolen cigarettes. The jagged scar from when I thought there was a tracker under my skin and tried to dig it out. My life story told in bumps and curves. Do you understand now?

_Cry mercy._

The voice I missed and hated. Loved and loathed. I curled up on the stone ground, arms wrapped around my knees, eyes closed, I whimpered, "Mercy."

A shadow fell across my eyes, blocking the little firelight that drifted into my chamber. My cell. My self-induced quarantine. Whoever it was sat down in front of me and was silent for a while. After several minutes of incomplete thoughts on who my visitor was, I muttered, "Go away."

"I thought you were asleep." Ah, so it was Edmund then. Why wouldn't he just leave me alone? Didn't he know I was gone? Didn't he know I was dangerous? I was hanging off the edge by my pinky finger. One single thread remained between my mind and my true self. If it broke, I wouldn't be Izzy anymore. I'd be someone entirely different. Someone who doesn't give a damn about anyone but herself. Some people call it a split personality. I just call her Lex. In actuality, she was a part of me, so I couldn't be classified as schizophrenic. But she was foreign, and strange, and ruthless.

"Nope. Go away." I stretched out my legs and rolled over so I could stare at the wall.

"Everyone's worried about you."

_Cry mercy. _

"Not everyone," I mumbled.

"Yes, _everyone_."

Who did he think he was fooling? I hate it when people try to trick me. It makes me want to scream. It makes me want to lie.

"Okay. You can tell _everyone _that I'm perfectly fine."

"You've been lying in the dark for almost two days."

"I'm allergic to the sun."

"No you're not."

"I'm sick."

Edmund didn't reply to that one as quickly. Finally, he said, "I know."

The monster inside me gnawed at its chains. I contemplated the bruise on my knuckles from punching the soldier then knocked it against the wall as hard as I could. I hissed at the pain. "You _know_?"

"Well, not from experience, really. But I do know it's okay to be sick in ways that aren't physical."

"You don't know what you're talking about. Stop trying to make me tell you things. I won't tell you anything!"

"Calm down. I'm not trying to make you do anything."

"Then what do you want from my life?" Silly thread of hope. Silly bruise. I let my fingers tap a rhythm on it.

"I don't want anything from you."

"Liar. You're all liars." I hate liars.

"I'm not lying to you, Izzy."

"Izzy isn't hear right now. Please leave a message after the beep. Beeeeeeeeeeeeeep."

Edmund sighed patiently. Why wouldn't he get frustrated and leave? Why? "All I'm trying to do is tell you that I understand."

I sat up, turned, and grabbed the front of his shirt in one fluid motion. "You _understand_?" He wasn't frightened at all, so I decided to give him a little something to _understand_. "Do you understand these? Pathological lying, impulsive behavior, paranoia, obsessively secretive, uncontrollable anger, self injury." I stopped listing and stared at him.

"What are those?" he asked calmly.

"Symptoms." I let go of his shirt and scooted back to sit against the wall.

"Symptoms?"

"_My_ symptoms."

"_Your_ symptoms."

"My six symptoms that they used to diagnose me." I scratched absentmindedly at the back of my not bruised hand. I wonder, if I chiseled away enough what would I find? Bones? Veins? Muscle? Blood?

What am I made of?

"Diagnose you?" Edmund prompted. He still didn't get it. I wanted to scream at him to run, but I didn't. Some little part of Izzy tugged on the string that was miraculously keeping me from falling apart. She was pulling me back together again. I could almost see it.

"Edmund, can you keep a secret?" I asked.

"Of course," he replied.

"Promise?"

"Promise."

"When I was thirteen I was diagnosed as a sociopath."

Edmund reached forward to touch my hand. Something changed. Gravity shifted. I saw that that he really wasn't all bad. When I admitted the truth, the gates were swung wide open, and everything spilled out. "I spent a year in a psychiatric hospital after my diagnosis. At first it seemed to make things worse. I thought that all the orderlies were out to get me. I wouldn't take my medication because I thought they were trying to poison me. I didn't see my family at all that whole year, because my father is in the army and he was transferred halfway across the country. I couldn't go with them because I was too unstable to be transported to a new hospital. The doctors didn't want to risk it." Edmund didn't say anything. He just held my hand. "They started forcing the pills down my throat. Every time they did I would lie in bed just waiting to die. I still expected poison. But after a while the medication started to work. A month later I was well enough to go to group. When I finally got out, I was happy for the first time in my life. I was fourteen and free!" I laughed bitterly. "But people talk. None of my old friends that I kept in touch with from old towns wanted to talk to me anymore. Even when I started at my new school in my new town kids would whisper about me. They called me Dizzy Izzy behind my back but some of them…" I took a deep, shaky breath. "Some of them called me crazy right to my face."

"Which is why you reacted the way you did when you had that row with Caspian," Edmund stated.

I nodded. "Wow." A small smile came across my lips. "Wow, I actually feel better."

"Talking about things usually helps," he agreed.

"I've never told anyone that before. Not even my best friends. I was always so afraid they'd think I was contagious." Is that my mind I see on the horizon? I pulled on the cord as hard as I could, reached out my arms, found myself. Everything looked different. I saw for the first time the true motivation of their prying eyes. The fear was for my safety, not theirs. I'd been so stupid. It seemed so funny. Slowly, laughter bubbled up and out. I saw the look on Edmund's face and laughed harder. I laughed for a long time and didn't fully sober until his expression turned weirdly serious.

"You aught to tell him, Izzy," he said.

"Tell who?" I played dumb.

Edmund only sighed his patient sigh. "Caspian, Izzy. You aught to tell Caspian."

_Cry mercy. _

I recoiled. "Why would I want to do _that_?"

"Because he's been moping about almost as much as you!" he exclaimed. "And he won't even tell anyone why he's so upset, but I know it's got something to do with you. Every time he walks into a room he looks around with this hopeful look on his face. I know he isn't looking for flying monkeys."

"Narnia has flying monkeys?" I asked excitedly.

"No! Don't change the subject."

"Edmund," I whined. "I'm just starting to feel better. Why do you have to go and pull this now?"

"Why is Caspian walking around like a wounded puppy?"

"Because…"

_I hate you._

My heart curled into itself. What have I done? All he was doing was trying to look out for me and I blew everything up. I had to do something- anything. I had to make it right.

"Because I said something terrible," I finally admitted. "And it wasn't something that can just go away. It must have hurt. It would've hurt me." I shakily got to my feet and walked over to the door. While I was waiting for my eyes to adjust to the brighter light, I mused more to myself than to Edmund. "You know, it took me three long years to lock all that away. Now it's running circles in my head all because of a person I hardly even know."

Edmund appeared at my side and put a hand on my shoulder. "That must hurt a lot," he said. "Particularly your heart."

"What do you know of my heart?" I caught myself quoting _Sense and Sensibility_ defensively. I let myself calm down before I continued. "My heart is a mosaic of broken glass pasted together with a glue stick." I shook my head and laughed. "It's the most painful thing I've ever felt, and I carry it with me always."

"Why don't you go and talk to him," Edmund suggested. "You both want to and it's going to happen sooner or later anyway."

"What makes you say that?" I asked.

"Well you don't fall down in front of someone's horse every day now, do you?" He smiled and started walking away.

"How do you know about that?" He shrugged. "It was Trufflehunter, wasn't it? I know it was! Next time I see him he is so in for a noogie!" Edmund just laughed. "Hey, Ed!" He stopped and turned. "Don't tell anyone." With a reassuring smile and a nod, he went on his way. Now to clean up the royal (literally) mess I'd made.

I found Caspian standing watch from a ledge on the left side of the How. Doubtless, the east side was being watched as well. When I climbed up, his back was to me, so I had a little time to gather the courage to say something. "Mercy." His entire figure went rigid at the sound of my voice.

"She speaks," he said softly, then continued after he warily turned around and saw that I came in peace, "_Speak again, bright angel._" I realized with a start that he was quoting Shakespeare. It seemed like he was rushing to get the words out."_For thou art as glorious to this night, being o'er my head, as is a winged messenger of heaven unto the white-upturned wondering eyes of mortals that fall back to gaze on him when he bestrides the lazy-pacing clouds and sails upon the bosom of air_." He smiled a little at my surprised expression. "I've been…practicing."

"I can see that," I replied. "But practicing for what?"

"I thought that if I apologized in his words it would be better than anything I could come up with," Caspian said.

"You memorized Shakespeare for _me_?"

"Yes. I know that it's your favorite." I felt a blush warm my cheeks and he looked down at his feet. "I wondered if you could ever forgive me for what I said."

"That depends," I said softly. "What else did you memorize?"

Caspian looked up, saw my nervous smile, and returned it. "_Alas, that love, whose view is muffled still, Should, without eyes, see pathways to his will_."

I nodded. "Go on."

"_Here's much to do with hate, but more with love. Why, then, O brawling love. O loving hate. O any thing, of nothing first create. O heavy lightness. Serious vanity. Misshapen chaos of well-seeming forms_." Caspian came towards me as he spoke, his eyes locked on mine, and I found that I was having trouble breathing. "_Feather of lead, bright smoke, cold fire, sick health. Still-waking sleep, that is not what it is_." He took my hands in his and finished in a voice barely above a whisper. "_This love feel I, that feel no love in this_."

Words wouldn't come. I knew the risk he was taking when he chose those lines to quote. Sincerity was written all over his face, and his dark eyes smoldered. He meant to bare his soul in exchange for my forgiveness. What kind of person lays everything on the line in hopes that it will ease another person's pain? What kind of person does that for someone they hardly know? Is this nobility? Is this valor?

Caspian frowned. "You're crying," he said.

"I am?" I hadn't realized it, but two days worth of tears had started rolling down my face while I was trying to figure out what was going on inside his head. I noticed the bruise on his cheek for the first time and winced. "I'm sorry for hitting you."

"I deserved it." He drew the fingers of his left hand over my cheeks to wipe away the tears while still holding both my hands in his right. "The things I said were unforgivable and I would understand if you never want to speak to me again. Though, I would give up a thousand crowns if it would keep you in my life."

I sniffed and stared at him in wonder. "How can you say something like that? We met less than a week ago."

"I know it sounds ridiculous but…" He wiped away the fresh tears and let his fingertips linger on my cheek. "I have never grown to care so much for someone so quickly before." Every word out of his mouth was just making me cry harder.

"But I'm crazy," I hiccoughed.

A pained look came over Caspian's face. "I should not have said that. I was angry and let it get the best of me. I didn't mean it."

"But it's true!" I sobbed. "I _am_ crazy! I'm a paranoid, violent, pathologically lying, compulsive, secretive, uncontrollable-when-angry _lunatic_!" I pulled my hands away and stepped back. "But not always." My voice was small again. "It's been a long time since I lost control like that and I tried so hard not to but then you called me insane and…and…" I searched the corners of my mind for words that could describe the way I'd snapped and decided that Emily Dickinson had the right idea. "_And then a plank in reason broke_."

"I…don't know what to say," Caspian breathed.

I nodded hastily. "It's okay. It's fine. I'm used to it. I'll leave you alone." I turned to leave, but he grabbed my wrist.

"Wait!" he exclaimed. I slowly pivoted to face him. "Have you not been listening to a single word I've said? I distinctly remember telling you that I would decline a thousand kingships to keep you by my side."

"Even though I'm crazy?" I sniffled.

Caspian smiled. "You are not crazy, _querida_. You are perfect just the way you are made and I would not want you any other way." Wow.

I don't know who moved first, but I was suddenly wrapped in his arms with my forehead resting in the crook of his neck and my fingers splayed across his shirt. I closed my eyes and breathed in his scent while I waited for my heart to calm. I could hear his beating, through cloth and skin and muscle and bone. My heartbeat slowed until it coincided with his.

"Caspian?" I said softly.

"Yes?" he murmured.

"What I said…after I hit you…"

"Mm?"

"I didn't mean it."

He didn't reply, but I felt him twirling a lock of my hair around his finger. A little delayed, he said, "I think I knew that, somehow. But it is good to hear you say it."

"That's why I did." There was a comfortable silence- possibly the first one we ever had. I counted his heartbeat, imagining the blood bringing warmth all the way to the tips of his fingers and back with each pulse. I wanted to melt into him, warm him, join the tiny red cells in their journey through his arteries and veins. His heart. With slight amusement, I realized that I was a little jealous of his blood. What a silly thought. Something else suddenly occurred to me. "What's _querida_?"

"It doesn't mean anything bad, it that is what you are worried about," Caspian replied.

"But what _does_ it mean?"

He chuckled. "That is for me to know, and you to figure out."

"Is it Spanish?"

"Maybe. The Telmarine tongue is a mixture of many languages."

"Oh." Yet another thought popped into my head. "Caspian?"

"Yes?"

"What am I made of?" I knew that a biological explanation wouldn't satisfy me, and for some reason I thought Caspian would have a better response.

"You?" He took a moment to consider my question. "_Querida_, _you_ are made out of dreams and stardust."

I liked that answer.

**Just a little P.S. I wanted to add in here: Don't be alarmed by the change in my pen name! I just grew tired of it because my obsession with Japan fizzled out months ago. So now I will officially be signing of as Gina, because that is the name on my birth certificate. **

**Love and pancakes,  
**

**Gina**


	8. Chapter Eight

**First I just wanna say...three cheers for me actually getting this far! I have a seriously short attention span when it comes to this stuff, but this story is really holding onto me. I have reason to believe that it's largely in part to all the support I'm receiving, so...**

**Love and cookies to my awesome reviewers, Sky-Pirate325, LittleSquirt1, Dean's Leather Jacket, Aramoorn, chnoelle, Haylee, Well-Yeah-There's-That, and romantic.dreamer26! **

**Yay! Chapter eight! I made sure it was longer than the last chapter. Dig in!**

Chapter Eight: Compromises and Complications

"And next time I do something to try and save your life, try saying thank you instead of yelling at me," I said. "That was really annoying."

"I guess I can live with that," Caspian replied. "But don't think I will just let you run around doing dangerous things."

"Well, duh, I've kinda grown to expect all that big brother crap from you."

I have no idea how long we had stood there, simply enjoying each other's presence. It could have been minutes or hours. I wasn't really paying attention to time. But eventually Rusself showed up to relieve Caspian of his watch, which resulted in us jumping apart at the sudden appearance of the slightly embarrassed minotaur. While we were climbing down from the ledge, I decided it would be a good idea to lay down a few ground rules to try and avoid future arguments.

"Seriously, I already have one older brother and I don't need another one," I continued.

"Trust me, I have no interest in being your _brother_." Caspian held on to me as I jumped down from the last of the rocks to keep me from stumbling, but his hands lingered on my waist even after I was safely on the ground. "Not at all."

I was flushed, and not solely because of the climb down. "Right." I started walking and he followed my lead. "And about that whole thing with the watchman, I'd appreciate it if you kept your comments to yourself. I only did what was necessary to get the job done."

Caspian rubbed the back of his neck and looked down at his feet. "I am sorry about that. I guess I was just…jealous." He finished the sentence hesitantly.

My heart was doing acrobatics again and it was all his fault. "_A plague on both your houses_," I muttered.

"What was that?"

"Nothing!" I waved my hands in front of me. "I was just thinking that if you _really _wanted to be the one who kissed the soldier you should have just said something!"

He made a disgusted face, but laughed. "_Querida_, you are very strange." I punched him on the arm playfully. "You didn't let me finish! I was going to say, you are very strange, but I like it."

I sighed. "Ew."

"Ew?"

"You're getting all sentimental on me again, chief."

"Sorry."

"That's okay. As long as you're not throwing a tantrum, I can live with anything else you throw at me."

"That is true." Caspian's expression became thoughtful. "Although, if I do slip up, at least now I know that Shakespeare seems to tame the wild beast."

"Wild? Yes. Beast? …Maybe. And that is so unfair!" We turned onto the stone path heading down into the How. He cast me a surprised look.

"What do you mean?"

"You've got my weakness all figured out and I have no clue what yours is!" I whined, crossing my arms.

Caspian looked down and was silent for a moment as we passed into the entrance hall of the How. Once we were in the relative darkness of the tunnel, he looked up again, smiling almost shyly. "I thought it was obvious."

Now, I really wasn't expecting a reply like that. Even in the dimly lit corridor I could feel the intensity of his gaze. Why did he have to go and do stuff like that? I coughed loudly into my fist to cover up for my speechless state. We came to the forge entrance just in time for me to totally dodge replying. Score! Unfortunately, as had become the habit for the last two days, everyone paused in whatever they were doing and looked my way warily. I held up my hands. "No worries. Everything's cool again." Slightly appeased, they returned to their work. I had barely taken another step before Caspian stopped me and gingerly lifted my right arm.

"What happened to your hand?" he asked. His fingers moved down to cradle mine as he lifted it into better light. It was more swollen than I thought, probably because of when I hit him. I guessed if he was bruised, my palm was most likely a little black and blue as well.

"Let's see," I said, thoughtfully. "I punched a soldier, slapped a prince, and backhanded a wall."

Caspian looked up at me and cocked an eyebrow, which I couldn't help but notice was…well…_sexy_. I can't think of any other way to put it. "Oh, is that all?" he asked sarcastically.

"I may have…backhanded the wall…more than once," I admitted hesitantly.

His expression turned to concern. "Isabella."

"It wasn't me, it was Lex! She is such a bitch." I muttered the latter part to myself, but he probably heard it anyway.

"Who is Lex?" he asked carefully.

My face heated up. I never actually planned for him to know just _how _crazy I could become. "Well…I'm Lex. Or, Lex is me. But not all of me, more like a fraction of me. Lex is like…" I thought about it for a minute. "She's like Evil Izzy. The Izzy that lies and yells, and thinks everyone's out to get her. Lex is the one who hated you. But she hates everyone." His expression never changed the whole time I was trying to explain it, and I waited anxiously for his reaction. I half expected him to run away, but he didn't. He stayed right where he was.

"Is Lex the one who hit me?" Caspian's question surprised me.

I smiled and looked down. "Actually, no. _That_ was me."

He laughed. "All right." His warm but rough swordsman's hands lifted my head up so he could meet my gaze. After studying my eyes for a long time, he smiled, satisfied. "Lex is gone now." It wasn't a question.

"Yes. I locked her away and coughed up the key." I smiled.

"You coughed up the key?" He raised his eyebrow again.

"Well, if I keep it inside of me then she might be able to get her hands on it!"

Caspian let go of my face and tucked a stray curl behind my ear. "You certainly do have an interesting train of thought, _querida_." This "_querida_" business was going to drive me crazy if I didn't find out what it meant soon.

I opened my mouth to provide a witty retort, but before I could a light haired fawn came running (galloping?) into the forge yelling, "Your Majesties! Your Majesties!" The four royal siblings appeared from various corners of the room, and Caspian turned all business at the urgency in the faun's voice. He touched my shoulder as he walked past me to join the others. I hung back, leaning against a large stone pillar. The faun's breath returned, and it relayed news that sent a spark of fear down the column of my spine. "There was a scout. The Telmarines know where we are."

Without missing a beat, Peter called for the leaders of each race to convene in the deepest room in the How- the one containing the Stone Table. "You too," he said to me as he walked by. I shrugged and followed them through the tunnels. The cavern was large, with the Table in the very center of the room, cracked right in half down the middle. A ring of fire bordering the room provided the light, and illuminated fantastic carvings of every creature known to Narnia. The most important one was obviously the one directly opposite the doorway that portrayed a great, majestic lion. Aslan. I turned my attention back to Peter, as my wandering mind had already missed the first parts of what he said. "It's only a matter of time."

"What do you propose we do, Your Majesty?" Reepicheep asked.

Caspian and Peter both started to speak at the same time. Leaning against the Stone Table next to Lucy, I saw the nasty look that the king gave the prince. Caspian folded under his stare, nodding for him to continue.

"Our only hope," Peter continued, "is to strike them before they strike us."

"But that's crazy," Caspian argued. "No one has ever taken that castle."

"There's always a first time," the other boy replied.

"We'd have the element of surprise," Trumpkin, Trufflehunter's other dwarf friend, pointed out.

"But we have the advantage here." Caspian stepped forward as he spoke.

Susan stood up behind him. "If we dig in we can probably hold them off indefinitely."

"I, for one, feel safer…underground," Trufflehunter said.

"Look," Peter said, turning on Caspian, "I appreciate what you've done here, but this isn't a fortress. It's a tomb."

"Yes, and if they're smart the Telmarines can just wait and starve us out," Edmund added.

Patterwig, a hyperactive squirrel who was almost as cute as Reepicheep, decided to make a suggestion. "We could collect nuts!"

Reepicheep was not amused. "Yes! And throw them at the Telmarines!" He gave Patterwig a withering look. "Shut up." Haha, I love that mouse. He turned back to face Peter. "I think you know where I stand, sire."

Peter looked to Glenstorm. "If I get your troops in, can you handle the guards?"

Glenstorm glanced at Caspian as he considered it, then said, "Or die trying, my liege."

"That's what I'm worried about." Lucy's voice surprised everyone.

Peter swiveled to face her. "Sorry?"

"Well you're all acting like there's only two options," she continued. "Dying here, or dying there."

"I'm not sure you've really been listening, Lu."

"No, _you're_ not listening!" She spoke with great conviction for someone so young; but then again, I guess she _was _all grown up at one point in time. "Or have you forgotten who _really_ defeated the White Witch, Peter?"

Peter's expression hardened. "I think we've waited for Aslan long enough." With that, he turned and walked out of the room. I glared after him, telepathically sending lightning bolts to strike him. Or at least, that's what I would have done if it were possible…

"We're going to the forge to plan," Susan said. I realized she was talking to me, as everyone else had started to file out with the exception of Lucy and myself.

"I think I'll stay here for a while," I replied.

"You sure?"

"Yeah. I don't need to hear the plans. Caspian's not going to let me go anyway." I rolled my eyes.

"Absolutely not!" Caspian called from the doorway. Susan and I exchanged a look and laughed, then she smiled and walked away. I slowly lowered myself until I was sitting on the steps leading up to the table. Staring at the carving of Aslan, the flickering firelight almost made it seem like his mane was being disturbed by a light breeze. I stared so long that it started to look like his whole face was moving, shifting, forming a smile. I blinked and shook my head. The stone was back to normal. I'd just been imagining things.

"Do you really think he'll come, Lucy?" I asked.

"I think he wants us to go to him," she replied. I looked up at her.

"Why do you think that?"

"He came to save us last time, and things never happen the same way twice." She smiled, like she was remembering a fond memory. "Aslan is wise and powerful. He doesn't do anything if there isn't a point to it. There must be a good reason why the others didn't see him when I did."

We watched the firelight flicker across the stone. "It's a test," I decided. "He must want them to prove their faith in him. Maybe he's always there, but they weren't looking in the right places."

Lucy giggled. "That's what I said."

I smiled. "Well, it makes sense. Aslan strikes me as the kind of person who doesn't expect anything in return for his love except faith and loyalty."

"_And_ love," she added.

I nodded in agreement. "And love."

"He'll like you. You're smart, but in a different way."

"What do you mean?" I asked curiously.

"Well, you don't see things the way Peter or Susan or even Edmund sees them. You see a whole lot more, and you understand it. And you don't let all those stupid grown up expectations stop you."

"I'm not sure what that means."

"It means you're special. Even though you're older, you can still see with a kid's eyes. It keeps you open to more than what's right in front of you."

I stared up at her. What an amazing little girl. "I think you're right. No one's ever put it like that before, but…" I looked down at my hands. "I've always been an outsider. Maybe that's why."

"That's because everyone seems to think that if they don't understand something, or see it, it must be wrong," Lucy said.

"Tell me about it," I sighed. "My whole life I've been trying so hard to let people in. To really connect, you know? Not just on the outside but on the inside too. But it's like there's this glass bubble around me all the time and no one else fits into it but me."

"Maybe you're not supposed to bring other people inside. Maybe you're supposed to let yourself out."

I pulled myself to my feet and leaned against the edge of the table so my eyes were level with hers. "How old are you?"

"Twelve and one half," Lucy stated proudly.

"That's weird," I said. "I could've sworn you were a _hundred_ and twelve."

Lucy laughed. "I'm glad you're not sad anymore," she said. "I like you better this way."

My heart lurched, but not in an unpleasant way. I smiled. "I like me better this way, too." Someone cleared their throat by the door to get our attention. It was Susan.

"We're about to head out," she said. I looked at Lucy as she hopped down from the Table. She had an uneasy look on her face, which in turn made me feel uneasy as we followed Susan up to the forge. There was only one person I wanted to see, and I felt terrible because of it. I had more than one friend going on this mission.

When we came out into the waning afternoon, I went to Edmund first and surprised him with a hug. "Try not to do anything stupid, okay?" I chided, trying to keep the mood light even though I was about to watch my friends march off towards imminent danger. What a world, what a world…

"I'll do my best," Edmund replied once I'd released him from the vice of my arms. I turned to Peter next who, though he was an obnoxiously arrogant prick, I still sort of liked. Kinda.

"Don't get yourself killed," I told him.

"I'll try," Peter replied. We stood there awkwardly for a moment, then I just threw caution to the wind and wrapped my arms around his neck in a hug.

"Good luck," I said as I stepped back.

"Uh, thanks." I could've sworn he was blushing. Mr. Smooth loses his cool!

I pretty much jumped on Susan like I would have if she were Dana or Jo. She was surprised at my enthusiasm, but laughed just the same. "When you get back, we should totally do girly things."

"Girly things?"

"Yeah. You know. Talk about boys or clothes or all the different ways to kill someone with a bow and arrow. All that jazz."

Susan smiled. "Right."

When I came to Caspian, he just stared into my eyes in that way he does that makes my entire body tingle. "_You _have no choice," I said. "You _are _coming back."

"I will try," he said.

I planted my fists on my hips. "Well, you better try real hard because if you do something stupid like die I promise I will pull you back into the world of the living just so I can _kill _you myself. Do I make myself clear?"

The corner of Caspian's mouth pulled up in a really adorable lopsided smile. "Inescapably."

"Good." He pulled me into his embrace, and for a moment I forgot about all the Narnians standing around watching us. Everything that happened between Caspian and I suddenly felt so…_intimate_. I had to remind myself that we were not alone.

I felt his breath on my ear as he whispered, "Be safe," and then reluctantly stepped back. I don't know why he said it. I wasn't the one who was about to fly off in the talons of a gryphon to break into the castle of my murderous uncle. Under different circumstances, the sight of the four of them clasped in the gryphons' grip would have been comical. But these were not different circumstances, so it only made me feel increasingly uneasy.

As I was watching them fly off with the troops following on the ground close behind, I just knew something bad was going to happen. It was more of a feeling, actually, that spread from my mind until it completely filled me up. I wanted to stop them, call out, reach into the sky and pull them back, but they were already disappearing over the trees. Instead, I turned and walked back into the How. In the forge, one of the centaurs- a female- was already back to work, sharpening swords. I leaned against a ledge and watched the sparks fly from the metal as it was pressed against the spinning stone.

"You are not the only one it plagues," she said.

"Huh?" was my super intelligent response.

"The feeling; the knowledge that something dark rides in with the stars tonight. It is in me too."

"Centaurs are incredibly perceptive creatures," I noted. She only nodded. "What do you think is going to happen…um…"

"Haybra," the centaur supplied. "There is no way of knowing for sure. But the darkness lingers on the brink of battle, and so I fear the attack on the Telmarines' castle will not go well." She had paused in her sharpening while she spoke, but now returned to it.

"Why do you think we feel it so strongly? I mean, the others must be worried too."

"Yes, all are worried, but not everyone sent a piece of themselves into the battle." Haybra ran her fingers along the steel, and set it aside.

"A piece of…but, I'm all right here." I held my hands out like it helped to prove that I was in one piece.

"I am not talking about a piece of your body." She trotted closer to me. "It is a belief of my people that when we find our mate, the pieces of our souls closest to our hearts are exchanged between us, and so we carry a part of one another everywhere we go." Haybra put one hand over her heart and looked down. "My Seledin has gone to fight." She looked up to meet my eyes. "And so has your prince."

I almost fell over. My face grew so hot I might as well have just passed my head through one of the torches. "Oh!" I exclaimed. My hands came up, fingers fluttering in front of me. "No! He's not! Uh, mine, I mean. He did go to fight, but he's not _my _prince, he's his _own _prince." I continued to wave my hands ridiculously, and Haybra simply smiled like she knew something I didn't.

"Apologies," she said, bowing her head. "I must have misinterpreted. It seemed like you viewed each other the same way as Seledin and I." She looked up and moved to return to her work. As she picked up a new sword to sharpen, she got a thoughtful look on her face. "Though, it is very rare that two souls are so compatible that they become one rather than just exchanging a piece."

I stared blankly at the centaur. What was she _talking_ about? All this stuff about exchanging souls was starting to make my head hurt. "What do you mean?"

"In my tongue, we call it _Animus Vinculum_. In the language of Adam it can be translated to Soul Bond." Haybra started sharpening the sword in her hands. The other Narnians were starting to filter back into the How.

"And you think…me? And _Caspian_?" It was difficult for me to form a complete sentence. My head was spinning. Centaurs may be wise, and astute, but apparently they also carry around a little bit of crazy. We should start a club with tee shirts and everything. No, wait, straight jackets! Oh, the possibilities…

"The stars tell many stories. I am only relaying what I see," Haybra said. "What you do with the information is your choice. Forget it, if that is your will, but bonds of the soul are not easily ignored."

"Uh…right…I think I'm just gonna go…um…elsewhere," I said. The centaur nodded without looking up from her work. I tried not to run all the way to the Stone Table room, but it was very hard. Me and _Caspian_? Caspian and _me_? What a ridiculous idea. I mean, we're close friends, yes, but that's as far as it will ever go. At the end of the day, he's still a prince and I'm still…

"Crazy," I muttered as I walked into the great chamber. When I walked up to the Table I was surprised to find Lucy curled up on it fast asleep. I hadn't even seen her pass through the forge. Carefully, I climbed up to lay next to her. I gently moved her hair out of her face. There was a tiny smile on her lips- pleasant dreams, then. What I wouldn't give to have the dreams of a child. I let my heavy eyelids drift down to block out the room's orange glow.

Just as I was on the edge of sleep, a horn sounded from above and I sat bolt upright. Susan's horn? Lucy was still asleep. I decided not to disturb her. I slid to the edge of the Table and jumped off. Why would someone be blowing Susan's horn? I walked quickly through the tunnels, and when I got to the forge it was completely deserted. How totally…unnatural. As I walked slowly through the room, my footsteps were the only sound. There was deafening silence all around me. Where did everyone go? Outside it was already dark so I was hesitant to venture out of the How. I stared at the doorway, willing someone- _anyone_- to appear. I'd have greeted Nikabrik with a big hug at that moment. "Where _is _everybody?" I wondered aloud.

"Here," a voice said from behind me. I whirled around and couldn't believe my eyes.

"Dana?" I asked incredulously, taking a few steps towards her. "Dana!" I moved to run to her but something about her appearance stopped me. I tried to figure out what it was. Her dirty blond curls were the same, long and full, and she was wearing the usual- as much green as possible. I studied her face, and then it hit me. She looked…_mad_. "What's wrong?" Dana lifted one hand to point behind me. "Wh-" I looked over my shoulder, then spun around. "Caspian!"

Indeed, he was standing there, but something was wrong with him too. His arms were crossed, and he was wearing an expression I didn't recognize. I couldn't place what his emotion was.

"Izzy," said a new voice. When I spun back around, Dana wasn't alone. Jo stood at her side, her short blond hair framing her face.

"Jo!" I exclaimed. "I don't understand. What are you doing here?"

"They came to take you away," Caspian said from behind me. I turned so I could look back and forth between them. He was standing closer now. "But I won't let them." His jaw was set, and he had fixed my friends with a challenging stare.

"What the hell is going on?" I asked.

"Just what he said," another new voice joined in. A voice I knew all too well. Whipping my head around, my eyes fell on blonde hair and beautiful green eyes.

"Nathan! You're here too!? But how-"

"We're here to take you home, Izzy," Dana said.

"She's not going anywhere!" Caspian's shout made me jump and look towards him. Edmund and Susan had appeared behind him.

"She doesn't belong here!" My father's voice? I looked back at my friends and, sure enough, my mother and father had joined the group.

"Well, she doesn't belong with you!" Lucy's voice, now? There she was, standing right next to Caspian.

"She fits better here," said Edmund.

"Why don't we let Izzy decide?" This voice was Trufflehunter's. It seemed that everyone I knew from either world was popping up on either side of the room.

"Which do you choose, Isabella?" Caspian asked.

"What?" I sputtered.

"You have to choose," Jo said. "Us or them."

"You can't ask me to make that decision!" My head was starting to spin. Both groups were closing into a circle around me.

"You have to," said Susan. "Them or us, Izzy."

Suddenly, they were all talking at once, calling my name, asking that same question over and over again. "Who do you choose, Izzy? _Who do you choose_?" I doubled over and covered my ears against the endless slew of voices calling my name, shouting that damn question.

"Stop it!" I screamed. "Stop!"

"Izzy!" The chaos stopped and all I could hear was the crackling of fire. I was lying on something hard and solid. I opened my eyes and Lucy's face came into focus, looking down at me with a concerned expression. "You were having a nightmare."

I sat up, putting one hand to my head. My ears were still ringing. "Yeah…nightmare," I mumbled. "How long was I asleep for?"

"I'm not sure. I woke up a few minutes ago. I was sitting just there when you started talking in your sleep." She pointed at the Table's steps on the side closest to the carving of Aslan. "You seemed scared, so I woke you up."

"I was scared," I replied, smiling sheepishly. "Thanks." A horn sounded, and I jumped.

Lucy looked up. "That's them," she said. "They're back!" She jumped down from the Table and I mimicked her. We both ran through the tunnels and the forge and out into the daylight. The troops were coming towards us, and I was relieved to see Caspian and Peter in the lead, closely followed by Edmund and Susan. But then I noticed the look on their faces, and my heart sank. "What happened?" Lucy asked.

"Ask _him_," Peter spat, jerking his head in Caspian's direction.

"_Me_?" Caspian snapped. "You could have called it off! There was still time!"

Peter swiveled around. "No there wasn't, thanks to you. If you had just stuck to the plan, those soldiers might be alive right now."

"If we had just stayed here like I suggested, they definitely would be!"

"_You_ called _us_, _remember_?" Peter was really up in his grill. I was stunned. Now I know how everyone else felt when _I _had been fighting with Caspian.

Speaking of, the look on his face was hard and reminded me of my freaky dream. "My first mistake," he said in a deadly voice.

"No," Peter disagreed. "Your first mistake was thinking you could actually lead these people." He turned on his heel and started towards the How.

"_HEY_!" Caspian's shout surprised me. He looked completely livid when Peter turned around. "I am not the one who abandoned Narnia."

"You _invaded_ Narnia," Peter spat. "You've got no more right to be here than Miraz does!" Caspian had had enough. He brushed past the young king, only to stop in his tracks at Peter's next words. "You, him, your father! Narnia's better off without the lot of you!" With an angry scream, Caspian drew his sword and whirled around. Peter's blade was out in time to meet his.

"Stop it!" Edmund shouted. Everyone looked his way. Several Narnians stepped forward to place Trumpkin carefully on the ground. Lucy ran forward as the two boys lowered their blades. Caspian sheathed his sword and walked into the How without a word, shortly followed by Nikabrik. I decided to go after him after I was sure Trumpkin was okay. I'd never talked to the dwarf, but he seemed like a good guy. Lucy pulled a vial from her belt and carefully let one drop of the liquid inside fall into Trumpkin's mouth.

Several anxious moments later, he came around. "What are you all standing around for?" he grumbled. "The Telmarines'll be here soon enough." Speaking of Telmarines…

I turned and jogged down into the How to find the wayward prince. The forge was deserted, so I continued down the tunnel towards the Stone Table. I was about to turn a corner when Nikabrik's gravelly voice stopped me.

"Not so glad 'a that horn now, boy," he said. I hung back. He was up to something.

"What do you want?" Caspian asked. "Congratulations?"

"You want your uncle's blood," Nikabrik stated. "So do we." I shivered at the malice in his voice. "You want his crown. We can get it for you." There was the sound of footsteps, and I peered around the bend to see them walking further down the tunnel. I silently followed, careful to stay a good distance behind and stick to the shadows. They went into the chamber of the Stone Table. I crouched down in the shadows of the tunnel, depending upon the acoustics of the room to send their sound my way.

"You tried one ancient power, and it failed," Nikabrik said. "But there is a greater power, still. One that kept even Aslan at bay for a hundred years." There was movement in the shadows, the sound of a sword being drawn.

"Who are you?" Caspian asked.

"I am hunger," growled a voice that turned my blood to ice. It was low and scratchy and sounded more like a dull roar than a speaking voice. It continued. "I am thirst. I can fast for a hundred years and not die. I can lie on the ice for a hundred years and not freeze. I can drink a river of blood and not burst." I covered my mouth to keep from crying out. "Show…me…_YOUR ENEMIES_!" It was a good thing I was covering my mouth, because a small scream managed to escape my throat.

Another voice, this one high and breathy, grated against my eardrums. "What you hate, so shall we," it said. "Nobody hates better than us."

A short silence followed, and then Caspian spoke. "And you can…_guarantee _Miraz's death?" Oh, no.

"And _more_," the breathy voice replied. "Let the circle be drawn!" It started speaking in a strange language. The words were sharp, jagged, evil. I risked peering around the bend in the tunnel as the voice screeched the last of the terrible words. Caspian had his back to me, and an ugly hag with the face of a bird was holding up a staff of some kind. As she finished the chant, she raised it over her head and for a moment I thought she was going to stab him. But she didn't. She drove the point of the staff into the ground, it seemed (the Stone Table blocked my view of anything below Caspian's waist). I stifled a gasp as a sheet of ice formed between the two tall columns in front of Aslan's engraving. I thought I saw movement in the reflective surface, and suddenly a ghostly apparition of a woman appeared. She had sharp features and wore a pure white gown. And she was encased in the ice.

"No," Caspian said. "This isn't what I wanted!" As he spoke, my heart kicked into overdrive and my brain started to put the pieces together. A woman, beautiful but frightening, only visible within a sheet of ice, summoned by an incantation in a dark tongue. I didn't _know_ who she was, but I had one helluva guess.

"The White Witch," I breathed.

**There we are! A longer chapter for you. The beginning of it was particularly enjoyable to write. Once again, reviews are lovely. ;)**

**-Gina**


	9. Chapter Nine

**This chapter's bulletin board of honor sends thanks to romantic.dreamer26, chnoelle, mel, aramoorn, Dean's Leather Jacket, and…Haylee…being a tool…once again. Love you all like a fat kid loves cake!**

**I have a love/hate relationship with this chapter, but that's all I'm going to say. I'll let you decide for yourselves.**

Chapter Nine: Give Me My Sin Again

_Bad. Bad. This is very bad. _

I sprinted through the tunnels as fast as I could possibly go. Actually, I probably managed to push myself even faster than my body was able to go, propelled by adrenaline and another emotion that coiled around my throat and made me want to scream; fear, not for myself, but for Caspian. I knew that he was in danger, and I cursed myself for not getting help the moment I heard that first, terrible voice.

_So bad. So very, very bad bad bad. _

I burst into the forge and didn't stop running until I'd reached the four royal siblings. They all looked up from their discussion when I appeared, gasping, in the middle of their circle. "Bad…danger…Caspian…White Witch!" Not so eloquently put, but you can't really blame me. I was terrified and out of breath. At the words "White Witch," they exchanged a meaningful looked.

"Where?" Edmund asked urgently.

"Stone Table!" I cried, pointing behind me. They took off through the forge and down into the tunnel with Trumpkin and I at their heels. I skidded to a stop in the doorway while the other five didn't even pause. My eyes were glued to the scene in front of me. The White Witch had one hand extended through the ice, reaching out to Caspian, who seemed completely entranced with his left hand raised before him. I forced myself to look elsewhere. Edmund was locked in battle with a terrible looking wolf-beast. It snarled, and the Witch glanced up, then looked back at Caspian.

"Come on," she murmured.

The hag fell to one of Susan's arrows, and Lucy held her little dagger to Nikabrik's throat only to have her arm twisted behind her. The nasty little dwarf disarmed her and shoved her down to the ground. He stood over the young girl, the knife in hand, and I instinctively ran through the chaos and threw myself down in front of her with one protective arm out to keep him from coming any closer.

"Out of my way, girl!" Nikabrik ordered. "I've got a little queen to dispose of!"

"You're not touching her!" I replied with a glare.

He sneered. "I'll just have to kill you both then!" He swiped at me with the knife just before his body went rigid, and managed to knick my palm with the tip of the blade as he collapsed. Trumpkin stood behind him, holding a bloodied sword. I glared down at the lifeless Nikabrik and pried the dagger from his hand, handing it to Lucy as we stood up. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Edmund slice the wolf right across the face while they were both airborne.

"Thanks," Lucy said gratefully, looking from me to Trumpkin.

I shrugged. "No biggie." I looked down at the dead dwarf. "Never liked him…"

"Stay away from him!" My head snapped up at the sound of Peter's shout. I saw Caspian fall to the floor on his left, and realized that he had shoved the prince out of the way. Peter held his sword out towards the White Witch threateningly. I ran to Caspian's side and fell to my knees beside him, flashing back to the first night I had arrived when we had fallen off of the horse.

"Peter, dear," the White Witch greeted fondly. "I've missed you." As I helped a very dazed Caspian sit up, I watched her reach out to the young king with a sickly sweet smile on her face. "Come now. Just one drop." One drop of what? Caspian, leaning heavily against me, cradled his left hand in his right. I saw the gash in his palm and it all clicked together. The Witch wanted to be resurrected, but she needed human blood to do it. So she got Nikabrik and her nasty little minions to lure Caspian in and trick him into bringing her back. A vicious anger gripped my heart, and I subconsciously held him a little closer. Calm, I had to stay calm. It wouldn't pay to lose my temper again- not now. Not when the battle was so delicately balanced on the edge of a sword. If I lost it, I wouldn't be able to keep myself from doing something that could ruin everything. The White Witch wasn't ready to give up. "You know you can't do this alone."

Peter lowered his sword a fraction of an inch. He seemed to be falling under the same spell that had held Caspian. I wanted to yell at him not to fall for it, but my voice failed me. All I could do was watch. The tip of a sword appeared through the ice, piercing the White Witch in the chest. More of the blade slid into view, and she threw her head back in a silent scream as the wall shattered. I saw with a twinge of fondness that Edmund was standing on the other side, his sword still raised. He really was an incredible boy. A regular badass. If I were a few years younger I would've been all over that. Ahem. Anyway…

Edmund gave Peter an incredibly humbling look. "I know," he said. "You had it sorted." He sheathed his sword and walked away. I smiled. Go Ed! Caspian seemed to suddenly realize that he was leaning heavily against my chest and sat up quickly, looking slightly embarrassed. He wouldn't meet my eyes.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

"Yes," he replied, still avoiding my gaze. I sighed heavily.

"Sure you are," I mumbled. "Don't move." I stood up to go in search of water and scrap cloth. The forge seemed like the best place to look, as I'd filled the big stone basin myself a few days ago. When I walked into the room, Lucy was trying to console a sulking Peter. I guess he was put out that he had shown that little bit of weakness. Quite a hit to his ego, apparently. Tch. Men. I walked over to the water basin and picked up the wooden pail I'd used to fill it. I dipped it into the water, filling it about halfway, and then looked around for Trufflehunter, figuring he probably had bandages of some sort. I found him sitting next to Trumpkin against one of the walls, talking in a low voice. "Um, sorry to interrupt, but would you happen to know where I can get bandages?" I asked.

Trufflehunter looked at me, holding the bucket of water, and jumped up. "Oh, yes." After assuring Trumpkin that he would be right back, he rushed off in search of the bandages.

I stood awkwardly next to Trumpkin for a few minutes before I noticed the sad look on his face. I realized suddenly that he and Trufflehunter had been close friends with Nikabrik. It must have been hard to be the one to kill him. "I'm sorry about Nikabrik," I said carefully.

Trumpkin didn't even glance up. "It's all right," he said. "It had to be done."

"I'm still sorry that you had to be the one to do it," I replied. He shrugged.

"Here we are!" Trufflehunter appeared at my side with several bandages in his paws.

"Thanks," I mumbled as he gave them to me. "I'll um…see you later then."

"Of course, of course." Even when he was grieving, that little badger still managed to keep his chin up. I wish I could say the same thing about myself. One argument put me out of action for days. I'm pathetic.

When I returned to the chamber, Caspian was sitting with his back against the Stone Table. "I thought I told you not to move," I scolded. He shrugged, still cradling his hand in his lap. Rolling my eyes, I sat down beside him, setting the bucket and bandages down next to me. "Let me see your hand." He seemed surprised that I meant to tend his wounds, but placed his left hand in mine palm up. I say wounds because when I sat down I noticed a hole in his sleeve that was ringed with blood. It looked like something sharp had grazed his shoulder.

I dipped one of the larger pieces of cloth into the water, squeezed out the excess liquid, and gently started to clear the blood away. Neither of us said anything. The silence grew more and more tense until I finally sighed and asked, "What were you thinking?"

Caspian had enough grace to look ashamed. "I wasn't."

"Well, _clearly_!"

He jerked his hand away. "I was just trying to do something that could help us!"

"Help _us_?" I scoffed. "Caspian, I'm not stupid. I heard everything, and it seemed to me like you were more preoccupied with helping yourself."

"You were _following_ me?" he snapped.

"Yes, I was _following _you!" I raised my voice as a warning. "I was going to see what I could do to make you feel better after that stupid fight with Peter! That's what friends _do_, Caspian. They _help_ each other! They _lean on_ each other! They keep each other from doing _moronic_ things like what you almost did!" I grabbed his hand, which was bleeding again, and wiped at it a bit less tenderly.

"You're right," he said softly after a few tense minutes. "I'm sorry. I should not have listened to Nikabrik."

"No, you shouldn't have. And you especially shouldn't have listened to those two…_things_. I've never seen anything that screamed "evil!" more than them."

"I know." Caspian leaned his head back against the stone table, closing his eyes. "I was just so…_angry_."

"Why are you suddenly so adamant about killing your uncle?" I asked, my voice softening.

He breathed in deeply and let it out in a long stream of air. "He killed my father."

I stopped in the middle of wrapping his hand and looked up at him. "That's _terrible_," I whispered.

"Yes, it is." Caspian opened his eyes and stared up at the ceiling. "And the worst part is that, for the longest time, it actually seemed like he might care about me. When I was little, Miraz would hold my hand and walk around the courtyards with me, and we would just talk." His jaw clenched. I looked down to finish tying the bandage into place. "All that time, he knew what he had done. He knew that he had murdered my father and yet still pretended that he actually loved me."

I could feel my heart tearing open. When it came to empathy, I was completely bipolar. When I'm sick, the only pain that matters is my own. When I'm not, the pain of others rips me open. With Caspian, it was somehow magnified. I didn't know what to say. I knew that "sorry" would not help. He was still a proud person, and I knew he wouldn't want my pity. I let out a long breath. "Take your shirt off."

Caspian whipped his head around to look at me, his exotic eyes wide. "_Excuse me_?"

I rolled my eyes dramatically. "Get your mind out of the gutter. You have a cut on your arm and I can't bandage it unless you take your shirt off."

He relaxed a little, but his cheeks were flushed. "Oh. Is it really necessary?" He seemed really uncomfortable with the idea. It took me a second to remember that Narnia was still stuck in the Renaissance.

"Caspian," I said calmly, "where I come from, I can walk down the street in the summer and count eleven men not wearing a shirt. And while I'll admit I wish _some_ of them would keep theirs _on_…" I shuddered, plagued with visions of old men in their underwear getting the morning paper. "…I'm used to it."

His eyes narrowed. "You're _used _to it?"

"Yeah. It's completely acceptable in my world. I've even touched a guy's chest before. Oh! Scandal of scandals!" That was the wrong thing to say for two reasons. One: because it made me think of whose chest I'd touched, which would be Nathan's, and two: Caspian didn't like hearing it. Oh yeah, I forgot, he's a jealous bitch. My bad.

"Fine," he said, shortly, and pulled his shirt over his head.

Maybe I should've let Trufflehunter handle this one.

My brain totally shut down for at least sixty seconds. I couldn't help but stare. I mean, I'm only human, and Caspian was…well…_beautiful_. For the first time my eyes were able to follow the curve of his neck down over the slope of his shoulder. The line of his collarbone led down to the smooth, coffee and cream-colored skin that covered his well toned chest. No one would ever accuse him of not taking care of himself. I fought against the instinct that told me to reach out and touch his skin- find out for myself it was really as soft as it looked. My eyes traced over his flat stomach all the way down to the "v" of his pelvic bones and the thin line of dark curls under his belly button that disappeared into his trousers. I swallowed, hard, and forced myself to look up, which was when I realized that he had been watching me watching him.

"S-sorry," I mumbled, blood rushing up my neck to collect behind my cheeks.

"I thought you said you are used to it," Caspian said, looking rather smug and doing that I'm-so-sexy-let-me-raise-my-eyebrow-at-you thing again.

"What are you smirking about? It's not like you're the _first _one." It was mean, because I knew it would irk him, but I was embarrassed and when I'm embarrassed I get defensive and when I'm defensive I get mean.

He surprised me, though, by merely smiling and reaching up to brush a lock of hair out of my eyes. "I don't care who was the first one, _querida_, as long as I get to be the last."

I gasped, loudly, and distracted myself by rinsing out the damp cloth. When I turned around to start wiping away the dried blood on his arm, Caspian was looking down at his lap with a ghost of a smile.

"I'm sorry," he said. "That was far too forward of me."

"It's fine. Don't sweat it. I was the one ogling." My hands were shaking as I cleaned the wound, and I prayed that he wouldn't notice. Tossing the bloodied cloth aside, I grabbed a dry one and pressed the middle of it against the cut, winding either end around and around until only a few inches were left on either side, then tied them together. Without really thinking about it first, I pressed my lips lightly against his shoulder right above the bandage.

Caspian looked at me with this weird, almost awed expression on his face. "Why did you do that?"

I shrugged. "To make it better." His eyebrows drew together. "When you were little and you scraped your knee or something, didn't your mother ever kiss it to make it better?"

"I…don't know," he replied softly. "She may have, but I don't remember. My mother died when I was very young."

"Oh," I said. "Well, when I was a kid, I used to think that my mother's kisses were magic because they always made the hurt go away. It was probably all in my head but, I guess when you're a child all it takes is a little faith to make anything possible." I sighed. "But then I grew up, and her kisses weren't magic anymore. They couldn't heal everything."

"She must have passed the gift on to you, because my arm feels better already," Caspian said with a smile.

"Really? Well, in that case…" I lifted his left hand and kissed his palm above the bandage.

"You have a cut too," he said, taking my own left hand into his.

"Oh, I forgot about that 'coz it's so small," I said. "Nikabrik did it- just a knick, really. Doesn't hurt that much."

Caspian looked up. "Perhaps you should kiss it."

I shook my head. "Magic kisses only work on other people." With a shy smile, I added, "But maybe you could give it a try."

He stared at my palm for a few moments, then looked up at me with an almost mischievous smile. "_If I profane with my unworthiest hand this holy shrine, the gentle fine is this: My lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand to smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss_," he quoted, then brought my hand up to brush his lips softly over the small cut. Wow, how much time was he spending on this stuff? Didn't he have a war to fight? An army to lead?

I smiled, and quoted in reply. "_Good pilgrim, you do wrong your hand too much, which mannerly devotion shows in this; for saints have hands that pilgrims' hands do touch, and palm to palm is holy palmers' kiss_." I lightly pressed my injured left palm against his.

Caspian laced his fingers through mine, and I had to try hard just to breathe. "_Have not saints lips, and holy palmers too?_"

"_Ay, pilgrim, lips that they must use in prayer_." It was turning into a competition of who would go farther, but I wasn't sure who was winning, or if anyone really was.

"_O, then, dear saint, let lips do what hands do; they pray, grant thou, lest faith turn to despair_." He pulled me closer by our laced hands, then let go so he could brush the back of his fingers over my cheek.

"_Saints do not move, though grant for prayers' sake_," I replied in a shaky, breathless voice. Caspian was so close I could feel his breath on my lips. Neither of us moved. I don't think I could have even if I'd wanted to.

"_Then move not, while my prayer's effect I take_." He seemed to be answering my very thoughts. His voice dropped to almost a whisper. "_Thus from my lips, by yours, my sin is purged_." Every molecule of my body was hyperaware of him. Every sense was completely overrun. I could see his dark, smoldering eyes, feel his warm breath move across my cheek, smell the musky scent of his skin, and I could have sworn I heard his heartbeat, though it may have just been my own pounding in my ears. Only one sense had not yet been introduced to him. I was trying, desperately, to pull enough courage out of my body to just let go and melt into him the way I so wanted to. If I was just a little braver, I might have been able to lean those few extra centimeters and close the distance between us.

I didn't have to.

Caspian's fingers brushed over my cheek and wove through my hair, gently cupping my neck just below my ear- I could feel the interruption of the cloth brush against my jaw, breaking the warm plain of his palm in half. Slowly, as if he meant to give me a chance to resist, he pulled my lips to his. The heat of his mouth sent bolts of lightning down my spine. He gently slipped his right arm around my waist and eased me into his lap. I let the fingers of both of my hands entangle themselves in his silky hair as his tongue slipped past my pliable lips. I was trembling from his touch, his thumb gently caressing my cheek, his other hand moving across my back, easing the tension from my muscles until I could fall easily into the mold of his embrace. I didn't know it could be like this. All those times in the darkness of Nathan's basement- I would trade them all for just one kiss like this one for the rest of my life. Where Nathan was sloppy and forceful, Caspian was tender, curiously exploring without being invasive.

Now, _this_ is a kiss.

A small sigh escaped my lips when he gently eased them away from his. I didn't open my eyes. I could have gone on for hours. "_Then have my lips the sin that they have took_," I breathed.

"_Sin from thy lips_?" I could hear the smile in Caspian's breathless voice. "_O trespass sweetly urged. Give me my sin again_." He pressed his lips to mine once more, but only for only a moment.

Reluctantly, I leaned back and let my eyes flutter open to meet his. A small smile appeared on my face. "_You kiss by the book_."

Caspian frowned. "This is the part where I find out that I cannot have you," he said, sadly.

I was trying to think of something reassuring to say, but my nightmare from the night before came rushing back to me. He was right, I realized. This is not my home. I can't stay here forever. At some point, I knew I would have to leave. I thought of Dana and Jo, my mom and dad, aunts, uncles, grandparents. I couldn't just leave them all behind. But then there's this. I looked at Caspian, who had taken my left hand and started to wrap it despite the cut being only about an inch long. Whatever this was, it was stirring up feelings that I didn't understand. Strong emotions that heated up and boiled over in bubbles that burst open inside my heart. What was it about him that made me want to stay? I realized I had nothing- no soft words or gentle phrases- to offer him for reassurance. If I told him I'd always be here, I'd be lying. I couldn't make him a promise that I already knew I couldn't keep.

"Oh! Sorry!" Peter's voice interrupted my depressing revelation. "I…didn't know anyone was in here." He glanced between Caspian and I with a weird look on his face. I realized what a compromising situation we'd been caught in and scrambled to my feet as Caspian pulled his shirt over his head.

"No, no, it's fine," I said nervously. "I was just bandaging him up." I held out the extra cloth to prove it. "See?"

"Yeah…" Peter replied doubtfully. Aw, shucks. Busted. If he knew something had happened (which he obviously did), he didn't say anything. Caspian brushed past both of us, and I watched him disappear into the tunnel as little piece of my heart broke off and followed him. Maybe Haybra wasn't crazy. Maybe there was more to this Soul Bond thing than I was willing to admit, even if it sounded ridiculous. I mean _Soul Bond_? Seriously? What is this, the SciFi channel? I was starting to feel like my life was just another episode of _Mystery Science Theater 3000_. There must be two humans and a robot making fun of me _somewhere_.

"_What do you know of anything but your own suffering?_" I asked myself- _Sense and Sensibility_ again. I need to get some of my own material, because it's starting to make me miss my sister.

"What?" Peter asked. He must've thought I was talking to him.

"Nothing," I replied. "Just thinking out loud."

"Oh." He walked around the Stone Table and sat down against it, looking up at the carving of Aslan.

"Um…should I…leave…?" I asked.

"If you want. I don't care." He shrugged without looking at me.

"Okay." I walked across the room. Before I got to the doorway, Lucy appeared in it. She smiled at me as she passed and I returned the gesture before she walked over and sat down next to her brother.

"I wish he would just give me some kind of proof," Peter said. I paused in the doorway.

"Maybe we're the ones that need to prove ourselves to him," Lucy replied. I smiled to myself. That little girl was wiser than Gandalf and Dumbledore combined, I swear. Turning around, I almost collided with Susan.

"Peter!" she said urgently. "You'd better come quickly."

"What's going on?" I asked as we followed her through the tunnel, then the forge and then into a passage I'd never been in before that sloped up rather than down.

"The Telmarines," Susan replied. "They didn't waste any time coming after us." Oh, shit. The tunnel did a full 180 as it went up, and we came out onto a rock outcropping- the highest one, and probably the only one that you could get to from inside. Caspian was already there, along with a round, bearded man I'd never seen before. They both looked back as we approached. When we drew up alongside them, I gasped and a fresh wave of fear rolled over me, quickly turning into panic.

Telmarine soldiers, thousands of them, were gathered into neat square regiments in the field. I saw with a terrified shudder that they also had catapults. Really, _really _big catapults. "Oh…my…" I breathed, unable to finish the phrase. Someone's hand wrapped around mine, fingers laced, gentle and strong and comforting.

I didn't have to look.

I knew it was Caspian.

**:) …that's all that I can say. Reviews!**

**Lurve,**

**Gina**


	10. Chapter Ten

**SPDVengence, Aramoorn, Haylee, Dean's Leather Jacket, LittleSquirt1, and romantic.dreamer26- do I have to say it? You guys are the best. Rock on witchyo bad selvez. ;)**

**Okay, so, this chapter took me a while because I went into it with this question: "Where the hell am I going to put Izzy during the battle?" When I started, I had no clue. After some discussion with Haylee and a lot of ideas thrown out the window because they were pretty bad and Mary Sue-ish, this is what I came up with. It's not my favorite chapter, but I did my best. I hope you like it anyway. :)**

Chapter Ten: Even Stars Can Fall

What happened for the next hour could only be described as organized chaos. Everyone was running a different way, shouting a different order, but all of them knew exactly what they were expected to do.

Which was why I was surprised when, instead of joining the fray, Haybra came to find me. I was leaning against a wall in the forge, trying to stay out of the way while also kind of watching Caspian out of the corner of my eye as he shouted orders and pulled on his armor. Okay, I was shamelessly staring, but like I said, I'm only human! Anyways, Haybra came quietly and I didn't realize she was there until she spoke.

"Do not let him slip from your hands, Daughter of Eve," she said, making me jump.

"Oh, sorry," I apologized. "I didn't realize you were there. What did you say?"

"The stars have already spoken for Seledin and I," the centaur continued as if I hadn't spoken. "And they have spoken for you as well, but even stars can fall."

"I don't understand. What happened with you and…" I trailed off, noticing for the first time the look of sadness on Haybra's face. "Did he…fall at the castle siege?"

She nodded sadly. "I knew it was coming soon, though I did not know when. It is in this way that the future is not set in stone. I advise you to hold fast to your prince. Fate can only do so much, and from there we must take our destiny into our own hands." She took my hands in hers, an unnaturally intimate gesture for a centaur. "He is your _Compositus Animus_. You will feel his absence always."

"What does that mean?" I asked softly.

"In the tongue of Adam, it means Matching Soul," Haybra said. "You are no longer two separate people."

I didn't know what to say to that. She had pretty much just flat out told me that Caspian was my soul mate. "How is that possible? I've only known him for a week."

"It does not matter how long you have known him here." She lifted her hand and touched my forehead with one finger. "For you have always known him _here_." She lowered her hand to rest it over my heart. "Hold on while you can, young princess, for the day soon comes when you must part." Haybra trotted quickly away, leaving me to wonder over her words. _Matching Soul?_ Where was she getting this stuff? Forget reading the stars, she's been reading too many romance novels. And yet…

I put my hand over my heart, thinking about her last words. _You have always known him here. _What a cheesy thing to say, if you think about it. She just made it all fancy so it wouldn't sound as corny. Oh, I have always known him in my heart! Forget _Mystery Science Theater_, now I'm a Disney princess! She'd even _called_ me princess. As if I have any royalty in me at all. Puh-lease. Maybe the next time Haybra wants to talk, I should tell her I'm busy. All this "soul connection" business was freaking me out.

Especially since I knew I wouldn't be staying for much longer. I could feel it, a light tugging at my veins, my natural world calling me back. It was an uncomfortable feeling, like I didn't fit in my own skin anymore. I knew, undeniably, that I would be leaving Narnia soon.

I would be leaving Caspian soon.

I brought my fingers up to my mouth and absentmindedly brushed them over my lips, still swollen from his kisses. Thinking about it made me feel a tugging of a _very _different kind. What was I going to do? As undeniable as my departure was, my attachment to Caspian was equally as obvious. Could Haybra be right? Could something much larger than I could ever comprehend be going on here?

_Fate can only do so much…_

Was this fate?

_Well you don't fall down in front of someone's horse every day now, do you?_

Was _that_ fate? Did some greater force pick me up and drop me under the hooves of Caspian's horse because it was _supposed _to be him? Was I supposed to be doing something more? If so, then why him? Why some prince in a world parallel to my own whom I will have to leave and never see again? Why…

I caught Caspian's eye from across the room, and he gave me an encouraging smile that I returned, even though I couldn't feel it. One corner of his mouth turned down and his brow furrowed, but his attention was immediately drawn elsewhere by a dwarf who was having trouble with his armor. What did it mean, that look on his face? He couldn't possibly tell from all the way across the room that my smile was fake, could he? I know that I can put up a good façade when I need to, so how could he know? I'm a walking two-way mirror, seeing other peoples' happiness and reflecting it back without actually feeling it. It was part of being an outsider, part of living in a glass case that nobody can get through.

_Maybe you're not supposed to bring other people inside. Maybe you're supposed to let yourself out._

Oh. Oh! _Oh!_ There it is, right there in front of me in the words of a little girl. I looked at Caspian again and thought about the myriad of things that had happened in the short period of time that I'd known him. How many times had we almost been killed together? Maybe it's possible that events, just like time, can bring people closer together. I mean, if Romeo and Juliet fell in love in moments, perhaps it's possible to feel strongly for someone in a week. It dawned on me that, when I was with Caspian, I wasn't on the outside looking in. I was right where I wanted to be. I clicked. I fit. I was visible on the other side of the two-way mirror.

He could _see_ me.

But it wasn't only him. Edmund could too, and Lucy. Probably even Haybra. They could see _me_, not just the me that I showed everyone.

_Maybe you're supposed to let yourself out._

Was I finally done being Bubble Girl? Had I escaped the glass case that cut me off from the rest of the world? Is that what this is all about?

Did Caspian pull me out? I thought about my breakdown after I fought with him, the way I'd split right open and displayed my insides to everyone. I'd confessed my darkest secrets and I was still accepted.

And I had to leave it all behind.

"Right Izzy?"

I blinked, suddenly realizing that Edmund, Peter and Caspian had appeared at my side. "Uhhh, what?" I asked, confused.

"I was just saying that it would be a good idea if you came with me to deliver Peter's challenge to Miraz," Edmund clarified. "It's subtle, but if they see you I think they might think we have more than just the Narnians fighting on our side."

"Like I'm a representative from another country?"

"Yeah."

"They'll probably just assume I'm Susan or Lucy," I pointed out the flaw.

"We can have you introduced," Peter suggested. "As…Princess Isabella…from over the sea!"

"Miraz knows the stories of Aslan coming from over the sea," Caspian said, somewhat reluctantly.

"So he'll assume I come to represent Aslan?" I asked. "I don't know if that's such a good idea. I don't feel comfortable impersonating a representative of Aslan."

"But you _are_ a representative of Aslan if you're fighting in his name," Edmund encouraged. "So you're not really impersonating anyone."

"It is a clever plan," Caspian admitted. "If Miraz worries, so will the rest of his army. But if you're not comfortable doing it, no one will force you to." He cast Peter a warning look.

I looked at each of them in turn. "And you think it will help, if I do this?"

"It couldn't hurt," Peter replied. "But it will most likely shake Miraz up a little if nothing else."

"But if you don't want to-" Caspian started.

I didn't let him finish. "I'll do it."

He hesitated. "Are you sure?"

I met his gaze. "I want to help."

I could tell he really didn't want to let me go, but couldn't think of a plausible reason not to. He was torn between his ridiculous need to keep me safe, and his soldier sense that it was a clever war tactic.

"Hey," I said, punching him lightly on the shoulder. "You can't protect me from everything, you know."

Caspian shrugged. "I can try."

"Well, yeah. It's all you ever do. It's pretty annoying, but I guess it's okay since you're just, like, trying to keep me alive and stuff." He smiled.

"We should get going," Edmund said. "Wimbleweather and Glenstorm are waiting outside." Wimbleweather the giant and Glenstorm had apparently also been chosen for this little rendezvous. Quite the intimidating crew. All we needed now were some leather jackets and dark sunglasses.

"Okay, let's boogie!" I said with a little more enthusiasm than was necessary for someone who was crossing a battlefield to deliver a challenge to a one-on-one battle to the death. Edmund and I started for the door.

"Wait!" Caspian called as we walked out into the sunlight. I turned around. He was jogging towards us with a vest of mail similar to his own, and a belt from which a sword hung. "Here." He handed me the vest. "Put these on. Hopefully you won't need them, but…" I pulled the vest on and he helped me fasten the belt around my waist, his hands lingering. "A representative of the Great Lion would not go behind enemy lines unarmed."

"Probably not," I replied. He was about to say something else, but something distracted him to the left of the How. I followed his gaze and saw several troops riding through the trees.

"Oh no," he breathed. "I must go."

"Me too."

Caspian nodded and started to run back into the How. I turned to Edmund and gave him a heartening smile. "Let's go!" We'd barely gone ten paces when we had to stop again.

"Isabella!" I whirled around. It was Caspian again, running towards me.

"Caspian, wha-" I never got to finish asking him what the hell he wanted this time, because while I was in the middle of asking he pulled my body against his so hard it almost knocked the wind out of me. But it didn't, which is good because the pulling thing wasn't what interrupted me. What _did_ interrupt me were his lips. Crashing into mine. My body reacted instinctively, fingers running over his neck and into his hair, lips parting to allow us the exploration we both craved. This kiss was nothing like the first one. He kissed me now with an unfamiliar desperation. I realized he was afraid he might never see me again. I realized I was afraid of that too. I had to force myself to break away. "Don't you have somewhere to be?" I asked breathlessly. Caspian nodded and let go of me, stepping back. He hesitated, looking at me. "Go! I'll see you later." Nodding again, quickly, he turned and ran off again.

When I turned back around, Edmund had this ridiculous expression on his face and Wimbleweather was staring down at his toes. Glenstorm pawed the ground anxiously. Oh shit, everybody just saw that.

"What?" I snapped. "Let's go if we're going!" The whole walk across the field, Edmund kept glancing my way and snickering to himself. When we were almost to the Telmarines' camp, I fixed him with a glare. "You know, I hit a prince before and I so would _not_ hesitate to hit a king." That shut him up. Seeing the olive branches that both Glenstorm and Wimbleweather bore, several guards escorted us through the camp to Miraz's tent. The giant and centaur opted to wait outside while Edmund and I went in.

"Who is it that wishes to speak to me?" a gruff and heavily accented voice asked as we stepped under the canopy. I saw that the speaker was a bearded man, sitting in the center of a long table of men and wearing a crown. Caspian's crown. I wanted to slap the smug look right off his face.

"King Edmund of Cair Paravel," Edmund said in a powerful voice, "and Queen Isabella of the East." Queen? What? I thought I was just supposed to pretend to be a princess! Now I'm impersonating a queen!? I tried not to let my guilt show. I instead fixed my mouth into a straight line and looked only at Miraz, keeping up as serious and intimidating an expression I could under the circumstances.

"Queen of the East?" Miraz said skeptically, looking me up and down. "I was not aware there was a Queen of the East."

"Of course not!" I answered before really thinking about it. I quickly redeemed myself for my hasty remark. "I hear that the Telmarines have long since forgotten the tales of old, and so you would not be familiar with the lands from which I hail."

Miraz leaned forward, leering, trying to make me uncomfortable. "And what lands would they be?"

I met his gaze steadily. "I hail from the lands of Aslan, over the eastern sea." Edmund nodded, and while it seemed to the Telmarines he was merely agreeing with me, I knew he was doing it to let me know I was doing well. Miraz sat back, trying to quickly rearrange the shocked look on his face before his soldiers could see it. He failed.

"Well then," he said. "Welcome to Narnia, Queen Isabella. It is a pity we did not meet under better circumstances, for I am known to throw a wonderful welcoming feast." I could tell that was a lie. Who visits him? His mother?

"A thousand thanks, your Lordship," I replied, "but I have already been wonderfully welcomed by King Caspian and his people." Edmund raised an eyebrow at me, but I just smiled. I wanted to annoy Caspian's uncle, and what better way than calling him King?

"He is calling himself _King _now?" Miraz spat.

"He calls not _himself _King, but rather his people have named him so." I was pretty good at this Renaissance speech stuff. "His Majesty is far too modest to request the title. Only one overcome by hubris would claim kingship for himself." The Telmarine Lord's eyes narrowed. Izzy two, Miraz zero! And the crowd goes wild!

Miraz just glared, then waved his hand at us. "Enough. What is it you have come to say?"

Edmund stepped forward as he unrolled the challenge and I followed, standing just off his right shoulder. "_I, Peter, by the gift of Aslan, by election and by conquest, High King of Narnia, Lord of Cair Paravel, and emperor of the lone islands, in order to prevent the abominable effusion of blood, do hereby challenge the usurper Miraz to single combat upon the field of battle. The fight shall be to the death. The reward shall be total surrender,_" he read.

There was a long silence after he finished reading. I clasped my hands behind my back and pretended the line of men behind the table didn't frighten me.

"Tell me, Prince Edmund-" Miraz began.

"King," Edmund corrected.

Miraz raised his eyebrows. "Pardon me?"

"It's King Edmund, actually. Just king, though. Peter's the High King." There was a short pause. "I know. It's confusing."

Miraz brushed off his annoyance. "Why would we risk such a proposal when our armies could wipe you out by nightfall?"

"Haven't you already underestimated our numbers? I mean, only a week ago Narnians were _extinct_." Good point. Go Ed!

"And so you will be again," Miraz replied. I really, _really _wanted to smack the smug look off of his face.

Edmund didn't miss a beat. "Well then you shall have little to fear."

Miraz laughed heartily. "This is not a question of bravery."

"So you're _bravely _refusing to fight a swordsman half your age," Edmund assumed, provoking. That's it. He's definitely my favorite.

Miraz leaned forward, speaking through his teeth. "I didn't say I refuse."

"You shall have our support, your majesty," a man on the right said. "Whatever your decision."

"Sir," another man said, gaining Miraz's attention. "Our military power alone provides the perfect excuse to avoid what-"

The self-proclaimed king jumped to his feet, grabbing his sword. "I am not avoiding anything!" Temper, temper! He should see my therapist. She's great with anger management.

"I was merely pointing out that my lord is well within his rights to refuse," the man explained.

"His majesty would never refuse," said a voice from behind me. I glanced over my shoulder to see another bearded man standing just within the canopy. "He relishes the chance to show the people the courage of their new king."

Edmund and I looked back to Miraz, who raised his sword and pointed it at my favorite King of Old. "You," he growled. "You had better hope your brother's sword is sharper than his pen."

When Edmund turned around, the smirk on his face was contagious. A similar expression appeared on my face as I gave Miraz a curt nod and turned to follow. "Queen Isabella." I paused and swiveled to look back at him. "Send my regards to your…_Aslan_." From his tone, I could tell it was a challenge. He was looking for something in my words or face that would give me up as a fake. I wasn't going to let _that_ happen. Too much was at stake.

"I shall, Lord Miraz," I said in a voice that was more confident than I felt. "Though I am sure he already knew you would be sending them." The look on his face was priceless and I had to hold back a grin as I followed Edmund out.

"That last bit was genius," he commented in a low voice as we were escorted out of the camp.

"I guess," I replied doubtfully. "But I feel terrible anyway. Lying isn't something I like to do because, well, _you know_…" He nodded. "And I'm lying about _Aslan_. It makes it that much worse."

"Have you ever met Aslan?" Edmund asked.

"Well, no, but Caspian told me stories…"

"Oh, yes, of course, _King _Caspian."

"Don't take that tone with me! That jerk was annoying me. I couldn't slap him physically so I found another way. And oh, yeah, _Queen_ Isabella? What the _hell?_"

Edmund shrugged and nodded curtly at our escorts as we passed over the boundaries of the camp. "_Queen_ is a lot more intimidating than _princess_. And if you aren't one right now, I'm sure Caspian will be changing _that_ soon." For a second I forgot that we were supposed to be regal and punched him hard on the shoulder. "Ow! What was _that _for!?"

"For being a smug little creep!" I replied.

"Hey, I'm 1300 years older than you. Respect your elders!"

"I don't give respect to anyone I don't get it from," I snapped.

"All right, all right. I'm sorry! Just don't punch me again. That hurt." Edmund rubbed his arm and Wimbleweather laughed the way he always does at things that shouldn't really be funny. The poor guy can't help it. Giants aren't exactly the brightest bulbs in the tanning bed, if you know what I mean. You should have seen Reepicheep's reaction when he was the cause of Wimbleweather's chuckles. It was adorable. Ahem…

"I know it hurt. That's why I did it." I made a face at him, which he returned. By that time we were far enough away from the encampment to act a little childish and not compromise the plan. "That was strike one, by the way. If you start making kissy faces you're going to have to learn to use a sword with your feet."

Edmund shuddered. "Point taken." I raised my hand to pat him on the back and he flinched.

"Relax, Your Highness," I laughed, patting his shoulder. "You'd think you were scared or something."

"Who wouldn't be scared of you?" he mumbled.

"Well…my parents aren't scared of me. Neither are my best friends, so that's four…" I trailed off contemplatively. "Maybe my brother and sister…six…hmmm… Who else?" I rubbed my chin like I was deeply in thought. "…Nope. That's about it."

"_Caspian_ isn't scared of you," Edmund said. I moved to punch him and he ducked, holding his hands up. "Sorry! Sorry!" I couldn't help but have a bit of a cackle at that one. What can I say? I can't suppress the crazy _all_ the time. We walked past the stone ruins in front of the How where the single combat was to be, and Peter was waiting for us behind it, his question written all over his face. "Miraz accepted," Edmund said.

Peter let out a long stream of air. "Good. We've successfully bought ourselves some time." He looked at me. "How did it go for you?"

"Well, I went from being a princess to being a queen," I answered, glaring at Edmund who was trying to look innocent. "And Miraz seemed to get pretty nervous when I told him I was from the lands of Aslan. A couple of his soldiers were there to see it too."

"Excellent." Peter's eyes were drawn across the field. "He is already on his way." We all turned to look. Indeed, a group of soldiers were headed our way. One of them was wearing an ugly masked helmet, and I guessed that was probably Miraz.

"He's like, 104 years old," I commented. "You can totally take him out."

Peter gave me a look that was almost amused. Le gasp! High King Pain-in-the-Ass has a sense of humor? "Let's hope so," he replied. I gave him two thumbs up.

We spent the next couple of minutes fitting Peter with armor. One of the bears and Glenstorm stood at either end of our side of the battle area. Edmund was the third marshal, and after a hushed discussion they decided it would be wise for me to stay outside and watch as well to keep up my _Buffy the Telmarine Slayer_ façade. Across the ruins, Miraz's men had set up a chair that was a lot fancier than the one we had for Peter. What a show off. Seriously, who brings a friggin' throne to battle? He also had his three marshals standing behind him. Two of them I recognized from the deliverance of the challenge, but the third seemed to be just another soldier to me.

I was feeling pretty nervous when Peter and Miraz entered the ruins. They circled each other for a few moments, and I was waiting for the banter to start.

"There is still time to surrender," Miraz said. There it is.

"Feel free," Peter replied. I almost laughed out loud at that one. He really does have a sense of humor. Leave it to Peter to be funny when he's about to try and cut someone's head off.

"How many more have to die for the throne?"

Peter reached up to lower the faceplate of his helmet. "Just. One." With incredible strength and agility, the High King sprang up and over a chunk of stone, bringing his sword down hard on Miraz's shield. The advantage passed back and forth so quickly I lost track after a while. Being unfamiliar with battle, it was hard for me to be sure exactly what was going on at all times. I had to go by Edmund's murmurings of encouragement and sometimes worried thoughts spoken under his breath. At one point, when Peter was on the ground, Miraz stepped on his shield and he cried out in pain. I flinched. It looked like his shoulder might have been popped out of its socket. That's not a pleasant feeling. I know. It happened to my elbow once… They had been fighting for several minutes when Peter's attention was attracted by something over Miraz's head. Following his gaze, I saw Caspian riding towards us with Susan behind him. Susan, I knew, was supposed to be with Lucy, searching for Aslan. I understood Peter's distraction.

"Does His Majesty need a respite?" Miraz asked nastily.

"Five minutes?" Peter requested.

"Three," Miraz growled.

Peter came over to us while Miraz retreated to his own side to have a wound on his leg bandaged. Susan jumped down from the horse, followed shortly by Caspian.

"Where's Lucy?" the young king asked.

"She got through," Susan replied, and then looked at Caspian. "With a little help."

Peter gave Caspian a grateful look. "Thank you."

"Well, you were busy," Caspian replied. He noticed my presence for the first time, and the look on his face was a cross between relieved that I was okay and ticked off that I wasn't inside. I decided I'd better give him a little warning before he threw me over his shoulder and carried me into the How.

"Don't touch me," I said quietly as he reached my side. A hurt looked crossed his face. "No, you idiot. They think I'm some badass warrior queen from Aslan's land. It wouldn't look good if you dragged me into the How- and I know that's what you were planning."

Caspian's expression showed that I was right. "You shouldn't be out here."

"I don't have a choice. If I don't stay it'll blow the whole thing. Miraz isn't as stupid as he looks. By the way, he thinks we named you our king now. You should know that."

He stared at me. "Sorry?"

"He was pissing me off! Acting all smooth and conceited. I wanted to knock him down a few notches so…I called you King Caspian instead of Prince Caspian…" I shrugged.

Caspian smiled and shook his head. "Your attitude is going to get you into trouble one day."

"It's already gotten me into trouble. _Loads _of trouble. I'm used to it." I returned his smile. He raised his hand to touch my cheek, then remembered my warning and rested it on my shoulder instead.

"If the worst happens, which I expect it will," he said, casting an accusing glance over his shoulder at his uncle, "stay by me. I'll take care of you." Peter cried out, and we looked over to see that Edmund had popped his shoulder back into place.

"If the worst happens you'll have enough to do without having to look after me," I reminded him as we watched Peter and Miraz re-enter their battle.

"_Querida_, I need to know that you are safe," Caspian responded, keeping his voice low so that only I could hear.

"Don't worry about me. Worry about them." I nodded to the thousands of Telmarines that were just waiting for the command to attack. "I can take care of myself. I'm a big girl and I remember most of the defensive maneuvers I can do with a sword."

Caspian looked at me doubtfully. "You haven't practiced since I taught you."

"But I learned from the best," I replied with as much assurance in my voice as possible. "I'll be fine. If I think it's becoming more than I can handle, I'll retreat to the How."

He breathed in deeply. "Do you…promise that you will run at the first sign of it being too much?"

"I promise," I answered. We both knew it was a lie. I wasn't about to leave my friends outside to battle while I was snug and safe inside the stone temple. It didn't sit well with my conscience, and a little bit of Lex was leaking into my system, mixing excitement into my fear. I _wanted _to fight, and the darker corners of my mind seemed to be pumping out confidence in my nonexistent skills. Maybe Lex was good for something.

"Respite! Respite!" Miraz cried out in a raspy voice. Looking over, I saw that he was on his knees before Peter, who was holding his fist back, ready to deliver a fatal blow to the man's head with his steel coated knuckles.

"This isn't the time to be chivalrous, Peter!" Edmund called. Peter seemed to think differently. He let his hand fall to his side, and started to walk towards us. After he'd turned around, Miraz dove for his sword a few feet away.

"Peter!" Edmund yelled as the Telmarine came at him from behind. Peter turned around, and with amazing skill grabbed the hilt of the sword, twisted around and sunk the blade into Miraz's side. Shock was etched into the Telmarine's features as Peter pulled the sword free and he fell to his knees. His young opponent held the sword up to take the last blow, but hesitated.

"What's the matter boy?" Miraz wheezed. "Too cowardly to take a life?"

Peter lowered the sword and leaned in. "It isn't mine to take," he said, then stood up and turned to hold the hilt out to Caspian, who cast me a glance before walking forward slowly to accept the sword. He approached his uncle and drew the sword back, his palm against it, ready to deliver the fatal strike.

"Perhaps you do have the makings of a Telmarine king after all," Miraz said breathlessly as he lowered his head, succumbing to his fate.

I could see Caspian shaking slightly, trying to withhold his anger, his hate for the man who stole his father from him. With a furious scream, he drove the sword not into his uncle, but into the ground. Straining my ears, I could just make out his livid words. "Not one like you," he spat in disgust. "Keep your life, but I am giving the Narnians back their kingdom." As he rose and walked away, a thousand different emotions exploded in my chest- respect, pride, and affection being just a few. There was also another emotion, something strong that almost overpowered all the rest. I couldn't tell what it was.

Glenstorm lifted his sword to Caspian as he passed, and all the Narnians cheered. It must have been a hard decision, whether or not to kill the man who raised you. Regardless of the fact that Miraz killed his father, I knew that in his heart Caspian still loved his uncle. I'm not sure how I knew it, but something in his expression and decision told me that it was true. No matter how badly his mind wanted revenge, his heart wouldn't let him do it. I had a sudden desire to go to him, hug him, _kiss_ him. My heart was broken for him. I wanted to help him bare the weight of his pain the way no one was ever able to do for me. There was an ache in my chest- a powerful need to stay with him. I longed to always be there to offer my embrace, my attention, my advice, my heart. Right next to my heart's need to see my friends and family again was another wish just as strong. I wanted to stay and be there for him, care for him, love him. Whoa. Wait. _What did I just say?_

"Treachery!" someone screamed, shaking me out of my contradicting thoughts. "Treachery! They shoot him! They murdered our king!" I saw first Miraz's lifeless body with Susan's arrow in it. I looked up at her where she had gone during the battle, standing on a rock outcropping with the rest of the archers. I sent her a questioning look and she shook her head.

"Peter!" Caspian yelled. I whirled around in time to see Peter take off the head of the nameless soldier. Two feelings clutched my heart, one was logical: disgust, the other was a much more primal instinct that I wasn't willing to consider.

The other two men who had been Miraz's marshals were running across the field. "To arms!" one was screaming. "To arms, Telmar!"

Caspian was suddenly at my side. He grabbed my arm and practically threw me onto the back of a horse before climbing up behind me. "I will need you to take the reins in a moment," he said into my ear, and then kicked the horse into a gallop down into the How.

I was frightened.

Lex was excited.

**Love! Cookies! Reviews!**

**-Gina**


	11. Chapter Eleven

**Thanks to Haylee, Dean's Leather Jacket, romantic.dreamer26, Aramoorn, Sky-Pirate325, and SPDVengence. I don't have to tell you how much you rock. :)**

**I apologize for the length, but this chapter was a struggle. I'm not good with battle scenes. But I forced myself to write because I didn't want to let you down! I hope it's not too disappointing. I tried to make it as interesting as I could. I was making myself crazy while I wrote this trying to make it good. Unfortunately, it's not my best, but hopefully you like it anyway. Well, let's keep on truckin'…**

Chapter Eleven: And Then a Plank in Reason Broke

My first thought when Caspian handed me the reins was, "_Why didn't I take those horseback riding lessons in New Mexico when I had the chance?_" Seriously. I had no clue what I was doing, but seeing as His Majesty's arms were busy holding me in place and carrying a torch, I had to do my best. He was doing what he could to help me as we led a group of Narnians through the caverns below the field.

"One…two…keep the reins taught…four…" he murmured.

It was terrifying, trying to keep control of a stampeding beast when it was fully aware that you've never done it before and so responded with annoyed jerks at every inexperienced tug on the reins. It didn't help that my mind was having its own inner battle, trying to keep Lex from taking over. She was fighting hard to come out, drawn by the thought of the violence I was about to become a part of. I knew that if she broke free I would be helpless to stop whatever she decided to do. It seemed that she was becoming more and more of an alter ego and less and less of another side of my personality.

But there was another presence as well- one that I didn't recognize. A determination I knew was not mine spread from my chest until it reached the tips of my fingers and toes. The reins suddenly felt natural in my hands, my movements more sure. While I was wondering at this strange phenomenon, I became aware that there was an echo in my head as Caspian continued to count out loud. Actually, what he was saying out loud was the echo. Each number rang through my head a millisecond before he said it. With a jolt, I realized that the unfamiliar presence, the one lending me the skill I needed to guide the horse through the stone pillars, wasn't a part of me at all.

It was _Caspian_.

I am going to need so much therapy after this is over. Possibly medication as well. More like probably.

"Now!" Caspian shouted, pulling me back into reality where I was suddenly turning into _Izzy: Warrior Princess_. All at once, the Narnians started to knock down the stone pillars. Oh my God. We're going to be crushed. We're going to die.

But we didn't get crushed _or _die. As we charged through the falling stone, I dodged each rock like I'd been doing it all my life. Maybe this creepy soul-sharing stuff was good for something after all, besides freaking me out. At the end of the cavern, one of the Narnians triggered a patch of the ceiling to fall, forming a ramp. Caspian threw the torch aside as we ascended it and grabbed the reins from me to guide the horse in a wide arch, coming up behind the regiment that was currently attacking the soldiers that had been outside the How. Another group of Narnians came out of the ground on the other side, and as I looked around I realized what we'd just done.

A large piece of the field had caved in when there were no longer pillars to hold it up, and the Telmarines that had been riding across the land were struggling to get out of the hole it created. How clever.

When Caspian had taken the reins, his foreign presence immediately retreated. I wondered if he even knew what had just happened. I got nervous when he handed them to me again so he could draw his sword. As he wielded his blade, skillfully cutting down soldiers, I gripped the reins tightly and hoped for the best- which was actually what happened. I was surprised to find myself weaving through the Telmarines like a pro. Apparently I'd been able to hold on to a bit of the skill I had borrowed. Sweet!

We tore through the regiment and back to the base of the How with relative ease. There were a few mishaps that involved some very Lex-y kicks in the face to a few unfortunate soldiers, but we made it. I got down from the horse with all the grace of a baby rhino (my right foot got stuck in the stirrup and I fell flat on my back), and Caspian jumped down after me looking amused. Amused! In the middle of a battle! If I hadn't been distracted by the chaos around us I would've told him off, but the Telmarine regiments were suddenly falling in on us from all sides.

Peter whirled around and, looking up, said one word. "Lucy." Following his gaze, I saw that he was communicating with Susan, who glanced around and then shook her head. Peter turned back to survey our severely outnumbered troops, and made a quick decision. "Back to the How!" he yelled.

Caspian grabbed my arm and pulled me along as if I couldn't retreat on my own, which annoyed me. A lot. Planting my feet, I yanked my arm out of his grip and he paused to look back at me. "What are you doing?" he asked urgently.

"Quit dragging me!" I snapped. "It's obnoxious. I can run on my own!"

"All right! Whatever you want, but would you please-" As he was in the middle of motioning towards the How, the loud crashing sound of rock on rock preceded a tumble of stone chunks falling and blocking the doorway completely. I saw with horror that one unfortunate faun had been caught in the door at the wrong time. All of the retreating Narnians stopped in their tracks, astonished. A flurry of movement caught my eye, and I looked upwards where Susan was dangling from Trumpkin's hand. He swung her to the right and let go so she landed safely on a lower outcropping. I sighed with relief and turned to Peter who looked equally as glad of his sister's safety.

"Now what?" I yelled over the surrounding sounds.

"We've no choice," he replied. A determined look came over his face and for the first time he looked like a king. "We will fight." A shudder ran through my body, but not for the reason I expected.

I wasn't scared. I was excited.

I gritted my teeth, trying to keep control, but it seemed I had already lost it. The sword was in my hands and I didn't even remember unsheathing it. I felt Caspian's hand on my shoulder. "Stay close," he ordered. An unnatural anger ripped through me at his words. Did he think I couldn't take care of myself?

"Stop acting like I'm completely incompetent," I seethed. "It's really starting to bug me."

Caspian's brow furrowed in confusion and a bit of hurt. "I'm just trying to keep you safe," he said. Safe? HAH. Let's check out His Highness's track record: hit in the face with a tree and knocked off his horse, knocked out by a creature one third his size, overpowered in moments by a mouse, and seduced by an old lady caked in ice. Pathetic.

I considered telling him this, but I saw something shiny out of the corner of my eye. Turning faster than I knew I could, I parried the attack of the oncoming soldier and kicked him in the chest as hard as I could. Looking back at Caspian, whose expression was insultingly surprised, I sneered, "Keep yourselfsafe." He was still gaping at me when I turned around and knocked out the same insistent soldier with a sword hilt to the face. I glanced over my shoulder again with a smile that only pulled up one side of my lips. "Seriously, I've got it from here." I leaped over the fallen Telmarine and dove blade-first into the fray. A ravenous hunger gripped my heart. The violence around me fueled my desire. Knocking out one soldier wasn't enough to placate my need to fight, harm, perhaps even kill.

Izzy was gone. Lex was back full force and ecstatic to have the chance to take out her rage on someone with limited repercussions.

The sword was heavy in my hands, but I ignored the strain in my muscles. Driven by the explosion of anger in my stomach, I handled the blade more easily than I had the first time; swinging it through the air, bringing it down on the shoulders and blades of whatever soldier was unfortunate enough to cross my path. I spun, ducked, weaved, everything that ever made me mad swimming through my mind on repeat. Every unfairness, every pain, I poured into my sword.

Moving every other year so that I never have enough time to get used to one place. _Slash._

Those damn doctors forcing poison down my throat. _Slice._

Getting locked up in isolation every time I tried to run away. _Crash. _

Being deserted by my family. _Kick. _

Being deserted by my friends. _Stab._

Being crazy. _Smash._

Loving someone I have to leave. _Punch._

I was so intent on my angry thoughts that I didn't even notice the tears pouring down my face. When a soldier took a swipe at my side with his blade, I swung the flat of my sword as hard as I could against the side of his head. Suddenly, I came to the end of the stream of Telmarines. There was no one left for me to fight, harm, punish. They were running away. _Cowards, _Lex seethed. _Get back here. I want to see you bleed. _

"No! Go away. I don't want to feel this," I whimpered.

_If you didn't feel this you'd be dead. _

"Leave me alone!" I yelled. The Narnians were running past me, pursuing the retreating Telmarines.

_Face it. You need me. _

"No!"

_You love me. _

"No! Go away!" I dropped my sword and clamped my hands over my ears.

_You _are_ me. _

"No!" I screamed, dropping to my knees. "No!" I hugged my stomach and sobbed. "I'm not you. I'm not like you. I hate you!"

You _are crazy._

"Don't call me crazy…" I whispered.

_But you are. _

"You aren't real!"

_You're even talking to yourself. _

"Stop!"

_Crazy. _

I moaned and doubled over at the pain in my stomach.

What was the word your little prince used? Oh, yes-

"No!"

Insane, right? He called you insane?

_He didn't mean it, _I argued silently.

_He did. _

_I don't believe you. _

_You knew it all along. You're in denial sweetie. _

_No…_

_Shakespeare. Tch. You fell for that? _

_He cares about me!_

_Keep telling yourself that sweetheart. _

_He cares about me. _

_Just keep saying it. Won't make it true._

"He cares about me," I whispered. Then, a little louder, "He cares about me." Then I yelled it. "He does!" I waited for a response from my own personal inner demon, but got none. Breathing heavily, I looked around. The last of the Narnians were disappearing into the trees in their pursuit of the Telmarines. Wiping the tears from my face, I struggled to my feet and grabbed my sword. Lex wasn't going to control me anymore. I wouldn't let her. I ran after them, straining against my own limits, fighting past the pain that still plagued me. Focusing my mind on the sound of my feet pounding onto the ground, I tried to ignore the ache.

When I left the trees, I had to skid to a stop. All of the Narnians were gathered, watching something. I pushed my way to the front and gasped, sliding my hand under my chain mail to clutch the pain in my side. The Telmarine army was frozen at the start of a bridge built across a wide river. Lucy was standing on the other side, holding a small dagger and looking pretty pleased with herself. But that wasn't what shocked me. What shocked me was the figure beside her- a lion, taller than she on all fours. The biggest lion I'd ever seen. The Great Lion. "Aslan," I murmured.

There was a cry, and the Telmarines charged, some across the bridge, others through the water. I was almost doubled over, clutching my side, but I could still see Aslan take a deep breath and send forth a terrible roar that shook the very ground beneath my feet and stopped the soldiers in their tracks. Something was happening to the water. It was running in the wrong direction and becoming shallower. The soldiers noticed, looking around in confusion.

Now, I'd seen a lot of amazing things while in Narnia. I saw centaurs, giants, minotaurs, dwarves, talking animals, evil witches, and fauns. None of them could compare to what came sweeping around the river bend. A towering wall of water rushed towards the terrified Telmarines. I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me at first- it looked like a face had appeared in the water. But when the wall stopped just in front of the bridge and seemed to take the form of a bearded man, I knew I wasn't hallucinating. The water giant crashed its hands down onto the bridge and ripped it out of its foundations. Telmarine soldiers leaped into the water below, trying to get away. One soldier was left on the bridge as it rose through the air to eye level with the giant. He stared in horror as it studied him, and then disappeared as it opened its gaping mouth and crashed down over him. The entire wall of water came down, sending horses and soldiers in every direction as it calmed to its normal flow.

One by one, the Telmarines started coming ashore, each one relinquishing his weapon as he did. The Narnians watched over them to be sure they didn't try anything. Caspian, Peter, Edmund, and Susan were wading through the river to the other side. I straightened up, still holding that obnoxious cramp in my right side, and started to follow. The water was pleasantly cool on my aching limbs. I moved slowly through it. At its deepest it was about chest high. When I made it to the opposite shore, the others had already fallen to their knees before Aslan. I stumbled to the end of the line next to Edmund and followed their lead.

The Great Lion surveyed us for a moment before speaking. "Rise, Kings and Queens of Narnia," he said in a kind baritone. Susan, Peter, and Edmund got to their feet. "All of you."

Caspian looked up, uncertain. "I do not think I am ready."

Aslan seemed to smile. "It is for that very reason that I know you are." Caspian stood. "Why have you not risen, dear one?" With a start, I realized he was talking to me.

"Me?" I asked dumbly. He nodded. "I'm no King or Queen of Narnia." My voice was strained. The cramp refused to go away!

"Did you not introduce yourself to Lord Miraz as Queen Isabella of the East?" Aslan asked. Oh my God. He knows!

"I'm sorry!" I cried, guilt rising up in my chest. "I knew it wasn't a good idea but they said it might help so I agreed to do it and I was _supposed_ to just be a princess but then Edmund said-" I stopped babbling at the sound of a deep throaty chuckle. It was coming from Aslan. I meekly raised my eyes to meet his. He didn't look angry, but amused.

"I know, dear one," he said. "You were named queen by the word of King Edmund the Just, and so you shall remain."

"Me? A queen?" I sputtered. "I don't know-"

"Of course, there is one thing that must be done," Aslan continued. I blinked, a little frightened, knowing a punishment for my dishonesty must be coming. "You are not of the East, so henceforth you shall be Queen Isabella the Warmhearted."

I gaped at him, forgetting for a moment that the pain in my side was getting worse. "Are you sure you want _me _to be a queen because I don't know if I can-" Aslan interrupted me with a low growl, and although I could see in his eyes that he wasn't angry, I guess he was annoyed that I was questioning him. "Right! Of course. You know best. No more questioning the Great Lion." Lucy, who had been standing next to him the whole time, laughed. I struggled to my feet and smiled. "Thank you."

Aslan gave me a pleased nod. The sound of bagpipes drew everyone's attention to a procession of mice passing through us. They were carrying a stretcher of sorts, which they placed down carefully. I realized that Reepicheep was laying on it. Lucy rushed forward to administer a drop of the magic liquid from her vial. The little mouse breathed heavily, and then struggled to his feet, giving a start when he saw Aslan.

"All…hail…Aslan!" Reepicheep huffed, stumbling. I noticed that his tail was conspicuously missing. He didn't seem to have realized it yet. He looked over his shoulder, and in his attempt to see his tail turned all the way around, then did the same in the other direction. It was pretty cute, but I still felt bad for him. "I am confounded! I am completely out of countenance!" he said to Aslan. "I must beg your indulgence for appearing in this unseemly fashion."

Aslan only chuckled. "It becomes you well, small one."

"All the same," Reepicheep replied, "if anything could be done. Perhaps…a drop more?" He turned to Lucy, who looked down at her vial.

"I don't think it does that," she said apologetically.

"We could have a go," he said hopefully, but Lucy shook her head. "Alas, I am afraid I must withdraw my sword, for a tail is the honor and glory of a mouse." Reepicheep held his sword in his paws.

"Perhaps you think too much of your honor," Aslan replied.

"Well it's not only that," Reepicheep explained. "It's also great for balance! And climbing…and grabbing things!"

The rest of the mice suddenly drew their swords and held them up to their tails. "If it pleases my Lord," said one of the mice, "we will not wear an honor denied to our chief."

Aslan laughed again. "Not for the sake of your honor, but for the love of your people," he said, and as he spoke a new tail grew from the stub of the old one.

"Oh, thank you my liege!" Reepicheep cried happily. "I shall wear it with pride!" He placed his sword in its little hole on his belt.

"You are welcome, small one. Now," Aslan said, "where is this Dear Little Friend I've heard so much about?" Trumpkin looked over at us from the edge of the river. They called him Dear Little Friend? How adorable! I blinked. It seemed like Narnia was having a negative affect on my vision. The dwarf looked blurrier than he should have with my slight nearsightedness. Cautiously, Trumpkin approached and then got down on one knee to bow. Aslan gave another mighty roar, though he was clearly not angry this time, but playful.

"Do you see him now?" Lucy giggled. I smiled, still blinking. It seemed that things were getting blurrier. In fact, I'm sure they were.

Everything was blurry, like I was holding wax paper over my eyes. I stifled a moan of pain. Maybe if I let go of my side it wouldn't hurt as much. I pulled my arm out of the chain mail and stared down at my hand. It was the wrong color. Where there should have been a peach smudge at the end of my arm there was a bright red smudge. My legs suddenly gave out, but Edmund caught me.

"Izzy, are you all right?" he asked as he lowered me to the ground. I tried to answer, but my mouth couldn't form the words. "Izzy? What's wrong? Izzy? Izzy! Lucy, hurry!" His voice got further and further away, and then there was nothing. Nothingness.

**I know the Reepicheep tail scene is entirely skewed. I couldn't find a clip of it except in Spanish, so I did the best I could from memory and the book version. It sucks, though, because that scene is hilarious. Oh well.**

**And oh yeah, there's a good chance I'll be wrapping this up in the next chapter, but don't worry! I already have the first chapter written of the sequel. I just need to work a few bugs out of the idea. ;)**

**Love & Cookies,**

**Gina**


	12. Chapter Twelve

**Ciao belle! Sorry about the wait. I actually wrote about seven pages more than this, but then I decided to separate the ending into two chapters so that you wouldn't have to wait for the whole thing and you'd have something to read while I finish up the rest! This chapter's got some friendship, romance, and a little Aslan. Enjoy! **

Chapter Twelve: So Much to Talk About

Darkness is an interesting thing. It gets so many different mixed reactions. Some creatures thrive in it while others perish. Some people paint their windows black while others sleep with night-lights. It can thrill, frighten, comfort. Darkness is a cradle, or a nightmare. It shows you everything you ever wanted or everything you ever feared. It can fill any amount of space. Caves, tunnels, holes, hearts. They can all become shrouded in darkness. I'm one of the lucky ones who are friendly with darkness. We enjoy each other's company. In the dark I can pretend that everything is perfect. In the dark I'm normal, happy, carefree, and sane. In the dark I can't see the evidence of my past on my arms. In the dark I am safe.

I felt like Juliet, wrapped in her sleep of death. Such beautiful dreams she must have had, of running away with her Romeo. That was the only difference. I had no beautiful dreams, only darkness, silence. There was nothing to disturb me in my sanctuary. I was free to drift in nothingness until it decided to swallow me up or that I was no longer worthy of its quiet peace. This time it was the latter.

When I first woke, I was unwilling to surface completely. I didn't want to leave the tranquility of my blank mind yet. I kept my eyes closed and didn't move, but regardless of my efforts my body was coming back to life. My joints were waking up whether I wanted them to or not, but I could still force them to remain still. So I did. However, I wasn't fully awake until I heard the voices. Hushed, careful voices.

"Are you sure you gave her enough, Lu?"

"For the tenth time, yes! One drop can heal anything."

"Then why has she been out for so long?"

"I don't know."

There was a short pause, in which my brains connected the voices to people I remembered- Peter…and Lucy. The events of the battle came rushing back. I wish they hadn't. I would have liked to forget the way I felt while fighting, and the argument I'd had with…myself.

"Are you sure there is nothing else we can do?" Caspian. My heart hurt.

"Yes. As far as I can tell, she is merely sleeping." An older man's voice that I didn't recognize.

"She's been "sleeping" for two days." Edmund. Two days? How could I have been out for that long? "At this rate she'll never wake up."

"Perhaps she is closer to waking than she appears." I know that voice from somewhere… Oh! Aslan. But, still, I feel like I've heard it before… "Your Highness?" Nobody answered. Was he talking to me? Wha- Oh! I forgot. He made me a queen. OH! He knows I'm awake. So much for catching a few more winks.

"Yes?" I answered without opening my eyes. There were a few sharp intakes of breath and some shuffling footsteps.

"I think it is time you eased the worries of your friends."

Reluctantly, I opened one eye, then the other. I blinked rapidly, trying to make sense of the blur of faces standing over me in a row. As they came into focus, I saw Caspian first. He was the closest to me, followed by Edmund, Lucy, Peter, Susan, and, at the foot of what I realized was a bed, the round bearded man I had seen Caspian with once. "What's up?" I asked casually as I sat up and propped myself against the headboard. Aslan, I saw with a weird, affectionate kind of surprise, was lounging across the end of the bed- which was huge.

Susan was the first to speak. "You are, finally," she said with a smile.

"Sorry about that," I replied. "I must've been really tired. What happened?"

Caspian looked pained. "You had a nasty wound on your side," he answered. "The chain mail must have been broken. It was cut right through."

"Oh man." I twisted awkwardly and lifted the shirt I was wearing so I could look at my side. Caspian coughed and looked away, Peter and Edmund following his lead. The other man wasn't standing at an angle where he could see anything, so he just stood there with a pleasant smile on his face while I investigated my skin. I was surprised. The only evidence that I had been hurt was a thin, white, slightly raised scar about six inches long curving around my waist. There was also a little bruising around the area, but it was minimal. I let the shirt, which I realized was not the one I had been wearing for the last week, fall and looked up. "Wow. That's some amazing stuff you have there, Lu."

Lucy smiled and hopped up onto the bed beside me. "We were worried it wasn't working because you took so long to wake up."

"I think that had more to do with exhaustion or uh…" I paused, raising an eyebrow at Edmund. "Keeping my sanity." His brow furrowed in concern, but I shrugged and smiled. Caspian noticed our exchange, but said nothing, his expression blank. "Hey!" I said suddenly, grabbing a handful of my surprisingly soft hair and bringing it to my nose. It smelled…clean. "Why don't I smell like a man anymore?" Peter rolled his eyes but Edmund just smirked.

"The maids bathed you when we got you here," Susan explained. "They seemed reluctant to let you smell up their sheets." She smiled and I knew she was teasing.

"The maids…_bathed_ me?" I wondered aloud. "Well I'm glad I was passed out because that would've been an incredibly uncomfortable experience." Lucy giggled when I made a face at the idea.

Aslan, who had been silently surveying the exchange with his wise blue eyes, spoke up. "Now that you know she is all right, I would like to speak with Isabella alone." I was a little unnerved by this, but there was nothing in his expression to suggest I should worry. He was still lying across the bed comfortably.

"Okay," Lucy said. She leaned over to hug me before bounding off the bed and following her siblings towards the door. "See you later!" I waved as the other three mumbled their farewells. Caspian hesitated at my side. His reluctance to leave made me sad for some reason. I remembered the last words we'd shared before the battle and a pang of guilt twisted in my stomach.

"Go on, I'm fine," I assured him. "We can talk later. Promise. Scouts honor!" I held up the three-finger salute of the Girl Scouts, even though he didn't know what I was talking about.

Caspian held me in his intense gaze for a moment, then leaned down to brush his lips against my forehead. The skin he touched tingled and burned…in a good way. "I am glad that you are well," he said softly, and then turned and walked out of the room, followed by the bearded man. I looked to Aslan. His eyes followed Caspian out of the room and did not return to my face until the door had closed behind them. I was suddenly nervous as he studied me, and a little embarrassed by Caspian's affectionate gesture.

"What was it you wanted to talk to me about?" I asked meekly.

Aslan shifted, curving his body so that his head was closer to me where I sat. "Tomorrow, I shall open a door back into your world," he said. "Your time in Narnia is drawing to a close." I looked down sadly. The tugging sensation was stronger today.

"I knew that," I sighed. "I can feel it."

"It saddens you," Aslan perceived. "Do you not miss your friends and family?"

"I do!" I looked up again. "It's just…I've made so many friends here. Edmund and Lucy and Susan. Peter, sometimes." I shrugged at the Lion's knowing look. "I've grown so attached to everyone here. I love Narnia."

"Narnia is not the only thing you have come to love." Aslan's eyes continued to study me as he said this, so he saw the flush that rushed to my cheeks.

"I suppose…maybe…not in so many words…" I mumbled. There was a long pause, like he was waiting for something more. I figured I knew what it was. "I don't want to leave him," I confessed. "It's impossible, I know. I've only known him for, like, a week. I don't understand." I hung my head in my hands.

"Some things are not meant to be understood, dear one, they are simply meant to be," Aslan replied. Suddenly, I remembered where I'd heard his voice before.

"It was you!" I exclaimed, my head snapping up. "In my dream! And in my closet the night I fell through! You brought me here!" The excitement from my discovery faded quickly. "Why did you bring me here?"

Aslan chuckled. "I was wondering when you would recognize me," he said. "I brought you here because you wanted to come."

"But I never even heard of Narnia before," I argued.

"That may be true, but did you not find here what it was you sought in your own world?"

"I…" I had to think about that one. Did I find something in Narnia that was missing back home? I thought about all of the friends I had made and all the experiences I'd had in my short time in this amazing world. I thought about Caspian. "Yes. Yes, I did." I looked down. "But I can't stay."

"No. You must take what you have learned here and apply it in your own world."

"Will I ever come back again?"

"That remains to be seen."

Hardly able to voice my next question, I settled for a whisper. "Will I ever see him again?"

"You may," Aslan replied. "But you must know that the way you entered Narnia this time will not work again."

"Why not?" I asked, thinking of how convenient it would be to have my own personal portal to Narnia so I could visit whenever I pleased.

"Things never happen the same way twice, dear heart."

I looked up quickly. "Lucy said that to me once."

Aslan smiled fondly. "She is very wise."

"Very," I agreed.

"Now," Aslan said, standing and stretching in a surprisingly catlike manner, "I believe there is a young prince who awaits your council." He jumped down off of the bed gracefully. "You had best go and speak with him now. There will not be time later tonight."

As I threw the covers back and hopped to the floor, I gave the Lion a curious look. "Why?"

The door swung open of its own accord, making me jump. Aslan smiled. "Tonight is the Coronation Ball. We have a new King and Queen who must be formally introduced to their people." I blanched at the thought of _me _trying to rule a kingdom. Maybe it was a good thing I wasn't staying long. Aslan seemed to guess my train of thought. "You will be a good queen," he said, and disappeared out the door.

I stared after him. Did he say, "will"? Why would he say that when I'm leaving tomorrow? I'm hardly going to have time to do any queen-y stuff! I sighed and looked down at my new threads- a loose fitting, long-sleeved shirt and a brown pair of trousers that were once again way too long. I bent over to roll them up. I'm clumsy enough without any added obstacles. As I followed Aslan's route into the hall, I thought about what I should say to Caspian. First, I planned to apologize for being such a royal (literally…now) bitch, and make sure he knew I wasn't myself. Beyond that, I had no idea what to say. Should I tell him I'm leaving? No, that was a bad idea. He would only make it harder; probably try to make me stay. It would only hurt more in the end. Telling him how I felt was also out of the question. If he knew, watching me leave, how attached to him I really was, it would definitely hurt more.

So what _could _I tell him?

This was the question I was trying to answer when I walked out into the courtyard and saw Caspian with his back to me, leaning on the stone wall and looking out over the town and, in the distance, Shuddering Wood (the forest I originally fell into- I learned the name sometime during our hike to the How). I approached him slowly, considering the amount of time I'd actually been in Narnia. In reality, it was only a week, give or take a day or two, but in my mind it felt like months. I also noted that I still had the uncanny ability of finding him even when I had no idea where he was or how to navigate my surroundings. We were like…magnets or something. So weird.

Caspian didn't notice me when I first came up behind him. My bare feet made no sound on the stone floor. I stood just off his left shoulder for a while, trying to delay the inevitable, before I spoke. "So how's it feel?"

He gave a start and then turned, smiling when he saw it was me. "How does what feel?"

I stepped up to lean on the wall and looked out over everything as he had just been doing. It was strange how small the wood looked from here. It feels like it goes on forever when you're in it. "Looking at all of this. Knowing it's your kingdom." I paused, then added, "Finally."

Caspian went back to leaning against the wall, but his head was angled towards me. "Why don't you tell me? It's your kingdom too."

I fought the urge to flinch at the stab of guilt his words caused. Of course, he didn't suspect I'd be leaving. Of course, this was going to be harder than I thought. "I don't know. It doesn't really feel any different for me. I guess I'm a little worried, though. Can you imagine me trying to run a country? You're going to have to do all the…everything." He laughed.

"I am sure you will make a wonderful queen," he said. I wish he would stop that. My heart was already aching enough. Every cell in my body wanted to touch him- his hands, face, mouth, hair. I longed to lean into his embrace and feel the warmth coming off of his skin. I was afraid it would only make things worse.

"I doubt it," I muttered.

Caspian swiveled towards me. "You will. Aslan was right. Your heart is warm, and kind." I scoffed. "I mean _underneath_ that attitude." He caught me unprepared when he tucked my hair behind my ear. I leaned into his touch. "There is more to you than a tough exterior. I know. I've seen it." His thumb brushed against my cheek. "I've seen you."

Which is why this is so hard. "A tough exterior and a warm inside," I mused to cover up the sadness. "You're making sound like a s'more, chief." He cocked an eyebrow at me and my twisted heart lurched. I had to look away. "Never mind."

"_Querida_," he said softly. It made me want to scream. It made me want to cry. I did neither. "_Querida_, look at me." I barely had time to force a blank expression onto my face before he reached out and cupped my cheek to gently turn my head. "What's wrong?"

Damn it to hell. It's cool that he can see me and all, but does he have to see me _that _well? "Nothing's wrong," I lied.

"I don't believe you," Caspian said. "You're acting strange."

"I _am_ strange," I pointed out.

"Okay," he relented, "strang_er_." I cracked a small smile.

"I'm just a little out of it. You know, recovery and stuff. I'm fine." I hate lying. Lying is what Lex does and I am _not _Lex. But if it spares him a few hours of hurt, I'll have to deal with it.

Caspian didn't seem entirely convinced, but he let it drop. Good. He didn't want to know. His expression shifted from doubt to something else. "I'm sorry."

"For what?" I asked.

"I lost you…in the battle. If I had been there I could have-"

"Don't say it, please," I groaned. "This wasn't your fault. Don't try to make it your fault." I took the hand on my cheek into mine. "Look at you. You're ridiculous. You're blaming yourself for something that was completely out of _both_ of our control. And if anyone should be apologizing it's _me_."

"Why would you need to apologize?"

"Before I ran off, the things I said to you, they w-" I broke off because Caspian was smiling and shaking his head. "What?"

"That was Lex. I know," he said.

"What the hell?" I closed my eyes. "Stop knowing me so well."

"I can't help it."

I sighed and dropped his hand so I could rub my temples. "You could try."

"I don't want to try. I want to know you." He grabbed my hands and pulled me closer to him, his eyes burning with familiar intensity. This is bad. Very bad. Need to pull away. Need to not melt into his warmth.

Too late. My body surrendered to Caspian's touch despite my mind's argument. I stared up at him, overwhelmed, my body and hands resting against his chest. His arms wound around me in an intimate embrace. His eyes, dark and smoldering, held mine. "I wish you didn't," I murmured.

"Why?" he asked, ducking his head a few inches so I could feel his breath on my mouth as he said the word.

I swallowed hard. "I'm not worth knowing." I'm not worth loving.

"_Querida_, you are worth a lot more than that," Caspian replied.

"But I'm not good enough for you." But I'm leaving you.

He sighed. "Isabella."

"It's true," I mumbled.

"For someone who isn't crazy, you sure say a lot of crazy things."

My knees buckled, but I was supported by his embrace. Once again I felt the urge to scream, cry, run. I did none of them. "Stop it," I whimpered.

"Stop what?"

"Being so wonderful."

Caspian brought his lips so close to mine that I could feel them move around his next word. "No." He silenced any protests with his mouth on mine. Any self-control I may have held onto disappeared. My fingers traced the familiar path into his hair while the rest of me seemed to be trying to get closer to him than was actually possible. I gasped softly as his lips moved against mine. I heard his breathing hitch. One of us sighed, I don't know who. Every sound melded together in my ears. My senses couldn't decipher any individual thing. It was all just Caspian.

He tasted like the snowflakes you catch on your tongue and the rain that trickles into your mouth while you're dancing in it. He tasted like the air in the beginning of spring and the first strawberry of the season. He tasted like sunshine and hope.

He tasted like dreams and stardust.

I had to force myself to break away, pressing my face into the fancy fabric of his shirt to hide the tears that were threatening to spill over. He wasn't making this any easier. I wonder, would he forgive me for leaving? Would he remember me when I was gone?

Caspian ran his fingers through my hair absentmindedly and rested his chin in the top of my head, oblivious to my inner battle. A better question was, would I forgive myself for leaving? Would I be able to forget all this and move on with my life? I knew the answer to those questions. No and no.

"You should go and get ready," he murmured. "The coronation is in an hour."

"I'm going to look ridiculous in these clothes," I mumbled. My voice was muffled by his shirt, but I could tell her understood me because he laughed.

"Susan left you one of her dresses. It's hanging in the wardrobe in your room." Great. Another wardrobe.

"She's taller than me."

"It's an old dress from when she was younger. It should fit you." Caspian took my shoulders and pushed me back a step so he could look in my eyes. I forced a smile. "Don't look so unhappy. It won't take long. Everyone will love you. The Narnians already do."

"That's what I'm worried about," I mumbled.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"There will be dancing. You love dancing." He was trying hard to cheer me up. It made me feel worse.

"When I'm not falling."

"I won't let you fall."

I took a few steps back, out of his reach. "I'm going to go get ready," I said.

"All right." Caspian was giving me a look that said he was trying to figure something out. I couldn't let him guess what was going on. I wanted to spare him as long as possible.

"Okay. See you in a bit." I waved and turned around, trying hard to keep myself from running all the way back to my room. I settled for a fast-paced walk. He didn't follow, but I couldn't let myself have the necessary sigh of relief until I'd safely closed the bedroom door behind me.

Now, "bedroom" is probably not the right word to use when describing my temporary place of residence. "Bedchambers" would be more accurate, as there was a little sitting room connected to the sleeping quarters. Why did he feel the need to give so much when I had nothing to give in return? It was driving me crazy. Damn him for being so perfect.

I crossed to the wardrobe on the other side of the room and noticed for the first time the glass door behind the gauzy curtains that lead to a balcony. Obviously not a guest room. I forced my eyes away and wrenched open the wardrobe doors. Inside, a single gown hung. I reached in to pull it out and hold it up to study. It was dark green and off the shoulder, with silver flowers embroidered around the hem. The torso was corseted, accented with silver as well. Even the stays were silver. It was very beautiful, and the dark color would keep my plain brown boots from clashing or being too noticeable. I made a mental note to thank Susan the next time I saw her.

I laid the dress on the bed, which had miraculously been made, and started to pull my shirt over my head. That was when I noticed, with a start, that a very important article of clothing was missing beneath the thick white cotton. I did a frantic eye-scan of the room, hoping to see it discarded somewhere nearby. The maids, who I assumed had dressed me, had obviously never seen a bra before. They wouldn't have known how it worked or even what it was for. My cheeks grew hot as I recalled the intimate embrace I'd shared with Caspian- totally unsupported! The material of the shirt was thick and it was so baggy that I hadn't even noticed. I groaned inwardly. Hopefully he hadn't noticed either.

Resigned to the loss of my most comfortable undergarment, I continued changing. Apparently they had understood the purpose of my Scooby Doo undies, because they were right where they belonged. I wonder what they thought of them? Haha. Wish I could've seen their faces. I pulled the dress on, grateful for the corseted top, which provided the missing support. I wasn't grateful for long, though, because I soon discovered how difficult it was to maneuver the stays of a corset you're already wearing.

"Need some help?" Susan's voice made me jump. I twisted around to look at her from my position by the mirror, trying to see over my shoulder to pull the strings.

"Yes, please!" I accepted. She smiled and crossed the room, Lucy appearing in the door behind her. I noticed it was the door to the sitting room.

"Our room is connected to yours through there!" the younger sister chirped, pointing behind her. "Isn't it wonderful!"

"Yes," I agreed with a smile. Susan's fingers were much more used to tying corsets. She had the stays pulled to a comfortable fit and properly fastened in only a few minutes. "Thank you- for the dress _and _the help."

"You're welcome," she replied. "It's too small for me anyway."

"Either way, it's still beautiful. You could have had it altered."

Susan shook her head. "It suits you better. Brings out your eyes."

I blushed. "Thanks." I noticed the girls' appearance for the first time. Lucy was wearing a light green dress with long sleeves. The torso was decorated with a pale gold pattern and the hem of the skirt had the same. Susan was wearing a similar gown, except in a deep red color and off the shoulder like mine. "You both look gorgeous!" I exclaimed.

"Thank you," they chorused. I grinned, taking in their neatly combed hair. I tugged at my own tangles subconsciously.

"Oh, yes, I almost forgot!" Susan said. "We came to help you with your hair as well."

Lucy skipped forward, bearing a silver comb and several hairpins. "Sit down!" she requested excitedly, pointing to the small bench in front of the mirror.

"You don't have to do this," I argued. "It's okay. I can figure something out."

"Sit," Susan replied. She put her hands on my shoulders and forced me down. Lucy started to comb out my dark curls while Susan studied me contemplatively.

"Susan likes styling other peoples' hair," Lucy explained. "She's always experimenting on me. She can't wait to have a new head to work with."

"Oh, shut up, Lu. I do not _experiment _on you!"

Lucy leaned in so only I could hear. "Yes she does." I giggled as she finished combing out the last few tangles and surrendered my head to Susan. The elder girl started in right away, sweeping, brushing, twisting, and pinning away. I watched, but had trouble keeping up with her movements. When she was finished, she had somehow managed to tame my wild mane into a slightly messy bun on the top of my head. A few stray curls fell around my face and neck.

"What do you think?" Susan asked.

"I love it!" I replied with a grin. "I can never get my hair to do anything. You're a miracle worker! All hail Queen Susan!" She laughed with me as I stood up. "Seriously, though. Thank you. For everything." I was addressing both of them. "You've really helped me feel welcome in Narnia."

"Oh, don't be silly, Iz!" Lucy said, hugging me around the waist. "You're one of us now! A true Narnian."

"Yes, you certainly are," Susan agreed, joining the embrace. We all laughed, but my joy was short lived when I remembered what was happening tomorrow. I hid my distress by bending down to slide on my boots.

"Ready?" I asked as I straightened up.

"I think the better question is are _you_ ready?" Susan replied.

"Not at all, but I'm never going to be so I might as well get it over with." I seized one of each of their hands. "Onwards!" My mock British accent elicited giggles from both of them as we left the room.

I was really going to miss this.

**Okey dokey. The next chapter will wrap this up. I'd just like to say that I adore you all for reading my story. It makes me so happy to know that people enjoy my writing!**

**Lurve,**

**Gina**


	13. Chapter Thirteen

**Wow. I need to say first and foremost that I am so excited that I actually finished. This is honestly the first fanfic I have ever seen through to the end, and I firmly believe that your support is a huge part of my loyalty to this story. For that I must thank for the final time (under this title) Haylee, Sky-Pirate325, Dean's Leather Jacket, SPDVengence, Aramoorn, loveISblind1990, romantic.dreamer26, Pirate Princess Luthein, Angel312, Nausicaa of the Spirits, LittleSquirt1, chnoelle, mel, Queen O' Randomness,**** ReinetteNarbonne, britishbabe21, Like a Puma,**** and Well-Yeah-There's-That. (Now that's every reviewer I've had the entire story, I think. If I missed you I'm so sorry!)**

**Unfortunately, all good things come to an end, so here it is- the final chapter. I may post a preview of the sequel after this as well, but I'm still debating it. Anyways, I love you all, and I hope you enjoy the nice, long finale I've put together for you. :)**

Chapter Thirteen: Such Sweet Sorrow

Caspian was right; the coronation was over before I knew it. It pretty much consisted of Glenstorm placing Caspian's crown on his head, where it belonged, and Haybra placing a dainty silver crown of vines with little ruby roses around the mass of hair on top of my head. Then Aslan introduced us ("King Caspian X and Queen Isabella the Warmhearted!") and there was some cheering and a lot of blushing on my part (I still think I really shouldn't be a queen) and then there was just dancing and general merrymaking for all.

It was a lot more comfortable than I'd actually expected because I recognized most of the faces in attendance. There were practically no Telmarines there. Everyone was Narnian, except for a pretty woman holding a baby with an older man at her side, and a soldier that I recognized as the one who spoke behind Edmund and I when we'd delivered the challenge to Miraz. They kept to themselves mostly, but I thought it was nice of them to come, whoever they were.

For my first dance as a queen, I chose Edmund and Caspian, adorably (CURSE HIM!), chose Lucy. The dancing was not quite as informal as it had been around the campfire in the middle of the woods, but it was still a lot of fun. There was laughter all over the room and the fauns played their merry music.

"Told you that you'd be a queen eventually," Edmund chided as we spun across the floor.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," I replied. "Don't get too cocky. Queen or not I can still hit you."

He made a face. "That's not very majestic."

"I never said I was majestic."

"That's true," he relented. "But what would your boyfriend think?" I bent back the fingers of his hand. "Ow, ow, ow okay!" I eased off. "Point taken!"

I laughed. "Good. He's not my boyfriend."

"Oh, you wish he were."

"Do not!"

"Don't lie!"

"I'm not lying!"

"Yes you are!"

I looked away. "It doesn't matter what I want. I won't be here much longer to want it."

Edmund twirled me away and pulled me back. "What do you mean?"

"I have to leave tomorrow," I said softly.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"Home. Where else?"

"Isn't Narnia your home?"

I blinked. Had I never told them that I wasn't even from this world? I guess not. "No. I'm not even from this _world_. I'm from the same world as you. At least, that's what Trufflehunter thinks."

"You're from our world?" His voice was excited. "Where?"

"Currently, sunny ol' England. But I move a lot."

"England? No way!" He spun me again. "We're from England!"

"Well, I figured that," I replied dully.

"Why didn't you say anything sooner?" Edmund asked.

I shrugged. "Didn't seem all that important under the circumstances."

"I suppose not." His eyes lit up. "But that means we can see you when we all go back!"

"Really? I hadn't thought of that." I considered it. "Where do you live?"

"London."

I flinched. "I live almost two hours away from London. All the way out in the country away from civilization."

"Where?"

"I don't really know. I live in this huge old house that my dad inherited from some great uncle or something." I laughed to myself, thinking of the day we moved in. "It was funny. The first day we got there I almost killed myself opening the doors to this big old wardrobe. They fell right off and almost crushed me. My dad used the doors and trim as the door to a closet he built me the next day. It's pretty wicked." I paused thoughtfully. "That's actually how I got here. I stepped through the door to my closet and fell face-first into the dirt right in front of Caspian's horse."

Edmund's face paled. "You came to Narnia through the doors of…an old…wardrobe?"

"Yeah," I replied. "Weird, huh?"

"Not so weird, actually. The first time we came to Narnia it was through the _back _of an old wardrobe." He seemed to be thinking hard about something. "Come to think of it, it was in a big old house in the country too. I wonder…but it couldn't be. Professor Kirke still lives there." He shook his head.

"Kirke?" I raised an eyebrow. "Kirke is my last name."

Edmund froze and we stared at each other. "So that's your father's last name?" I nodded. "And perhaps his…uncle's…last name?"

I shrugged. "I dunno. Maybe."

"But Professor Kirke is still alive!" he exclaimed.

"Maybe it's a different Kirke. My father's uncle or whatever has been dead for years."

"But that's just too much of a coincidence. Were there old fur coats in the wardrobe?"

I stared. "How did you know that?"

"It's the same wardrobe! It has to be! There can't be more than one wardrobe leading into Narnia!" Edmund pulled me into the dance once again, looking extremely excited. "But the question is, how? We were just staying with the Professor a year ago to escape the air raids during the war."

"Air raids?" I asked, confused. "War? What war?"

"Where have you been? The war with Germany, of course! The Blitz was just last year!"

It was my turn to freeze, gaping at him. "You mean World War II? That was almost seventy years ago."

"_Seventy years?_ What are you _talking_ about? I'm telling you, it was just last year!"

"I just learned about this in military history class!" I argued. Something suddenly dawned on me. "Edmund…what _year _is it where you're from?"

"1941, of course!" Edmund replied, his tone suggesting it should be obvious. He watched the look on my face, and slowly comprehension dawned in his expression. "What year is it where _you're_ from?"

"Um…2008," I answered softly. We just stood their, gaping stupidly at each other. Neither of us knew how to react. I mean, he was from the past? How was that possible? What sort of time schedule did Narnia work on, anyway? How were the Kings and Queens of Old barely even through puberty yet?

"Is everything all right?" Peter's voice interrupted our shock. Edmund and I jumped and looked at him.

"She's from the future!" he cried, pointing at me.

"_You're _from the past!" I countered.

"What are you two talking about?" Peter asked.

"You're from 1941!" I said.

"Yeah. So?"

"I'm from 2008!"

Peter stared at me. "You mean you're not from Narnia?"

"_No_, you idiot! Stay with me!"

He crossed his arms. "You know, just because you're a queen now doesn't mean you can insult me."

I scoffed. "Puh-lease. I was making fun of you long before I got a title."

Peter raised his eyebrows. "Really?"

"Focus!" Edmund interrupted. "Honestly, you're worse than children!" I punched him. "Ouch! Quit hitting me!"

"Quit calling me a child!"

"I didn't call you a child! I just said you were _worse_ than one!"

"What's going on?" Lucy asked, appearing at my side.

Peter and Edmund both pointed at me. "She's from the future!" they said in unison.

I rolled my eyes. "Or you're from the past."

"What do you mean?"

"You are from 1941 and I am from 2008," I explained.

"Oh," Lucy said. "Why are you all freaking out?"

"Because she's from the future!" Edmund answered.

"So? You know Narnian time doesn't work the same as our time. It's a completely different time flow." I'm never going to get over how smart she is. "It just happens that it's the same time in Narnia for both of us, that's all. I mean, you could step out of Narnia and right back in and years could've passed. So, why not?"

"Makes sense, I guess," Peter mumbled. He was probably upset that he hadn't thought of it first.

"Yeah," I agreed. "Well said, Lu!" I high-fived her, then realized that if she was here then she was no longer dancing with Caspian. "Now that that's settled, who's for a dance? Why, Peter! I would love to!" I grabbed the bewildered Peter and swept him away into the crowd. I didn't want to give Caspian the chance to ask me. I wasn't sure I could handle it.

As the night wore on, I started to run out of dance partners. It felt like I'd danced with every Narnian I was able to. I'd even danced with the Telmarine soldier at one point, and Susan and Lucy as well. When the moon was reaching its peak in the sky, I quietly slipped away into the gardens outside. I wandered through the flowers for a while before I found a stone bench that I could sit on and look up at the stars. The sky was so clear in Narnia, nothing like in our world. There was no light pollution to make the inky heavens look worn and faded, and the stars looked that much brighter. I noticed several formations that were familiar- Caspian had pointed them out to me that night by the fire. That carefree time seemed so long ago now.

"Isabella?" I'd grown so used to his voice that it never surprised me anymore, even when I wasn't expecting it. There was still a noticeable increase in my heart rate, though. I turned my head to look at him as he sat down beside me. "If I did not know better, I would think you have been avoiding me."

"Why would I do that?" I asked, carefully. There was a moment during which the only sound was the muffled music from inside. "You're not wearing your crown."

Caspian's hand went to his head. "It's inconvenient when dancing," he explained.

"Ah, of course. It did look awfully heavy."

He cocked his head to the side thoughtfully. "I've not had a single dance with you all night."

"Really?" I tried to sound surprised. "That's weird…"

"I suppose." He hesitated, uncertainly. "Have I…been too forward? I apologize, I simply assumed that y-"

"No, no, you haven't!" I interrupted.

"Are you certain? I thought that…I mean…I've made my own feelings obvious but I…" He paused, taking a deep breath. "I never even stopped to ask if they were…mutual." I realized that the strange edge to his voice was nervousness.

I considered lying. Perhaps if I told him that I didn't return his affections it would be easier for him to watch me leave. But the moon lit up his cautiously hopeful expression and I couldn't bring myself to tell him anything but the truth. I could, however, be as vague as possible. "I…feel the same," I said, softly.

The smile on Caspian's face brought one to my own. Even in the midst of my own troubles, his happiness still brought me joy. "Wonderful. I mean…it's just…that makes me very…"

I silenced him with a finger to his lips. "Shh. It's okay." He took my hand and kissed my fingertips. I shivered. "Cut that out!"

"Sorry." He lowered our hands, but kept mine in his. "I'm just so…happy."

"So am I." It was true. Despite everything, his presence could still put me all the way up on cloud freakin' nine.

Caspian reached out to brush a stray curl out of my eyes. "You look beautiful tonight."

"You clean up pretty well yourself." That was also true. As beautiful as he was in the middle of the forest in a haggard white shirt and pair of breeches, I wouldn't have thought he could get any better looking. Apparently, I was wrong. In the rich, royal fabrics and colors better fitting to his station, he looked every bit the handsome prince. I mean king. It was so surreal I kept forgetting that the young man in front of me was not only generally incredible, he was also a _king_. It looked like he'd gone from Prince Charming to King Unbelievable while I was sleeping.

Caspian jumped to his feet suddenly and held his hand out. "Dance with me."

"Huh?" I stared up at him.

He laughed. "Dance with me! We can hear the music well enough." He pulled me to my feet without waiting for a reply and held me against him as we twirled under the moonlight. His enthusiasm made me sad. I lowered my head and rested my chin on his shoulder to keep him from deciphering my feelings from my face. Our slow-moving circles faded to a gentle sway. "_Querida_," he murmured after several minutes. "I want you to know that I…I've never…felt anything like this before. And so in accordance to that I have also never…done this…before." My heart fluttered at his nervous innocence. I bit my lip. "So…what I mean is that…I am sorry if I'm…not very…good at it."

I had to laugh at that one. "You're already way better at it than you think. _Too _good at it, if you ask me."

When he replied, he sounded pleased. "Oh."

"And, for the record, while I may have been…uh…close…to other guys before…well…" I bit my lip, thinking of Nathan and how childish and immature my attraction to him had been. The emotions spent on him were a single light bulb compared to the Time Square intensity of what I felt for Caspian. "It's never been like this," I blurted. "It's never been like…like my heart doesn't fit in my chest anymore and it's beating so fast and so hard like its trying to burst right out of my ribcage because it doesn't belong where it is because it isn't mine anymore." I have a babbling problem. I was talking so fast that the words were out of my mouth before I'd taken the time to consider the consequences. Every time I opened my mouth a new string bound me to him, making the idea of leaving more and more painful. I closed my eyes and pressed my face into his neck, inhaling the scent of his skin.

"I…know exactly how you feel," Caspian said. I was trying hard just to breathe. I felt him trace the curve of my neck from just under my ear to my shoulder with the tip of his nose. He retraced the same path with a gentle brush of his lips on my skin leaving a trail of fire in their wake. His hands were hot on my back. I pressed my lips against the pulse in his neck, a reminder that he was alive and he was saying these beautiful things for me. He tensed up suddenly and took my shoulders in his hands to force me back a step. "I…you should go and get some rest. It's late."

I blinked at the strangely strained expression on his face. "I've been sleeping for two days."

"You should go." Caspian's face was almost pleading.

"Why? What's wrong?" I scrunched my eyebrows together, confused, and took a step back. "You don't want to be near me?"

He pulled me back, suddenly panicked. "No! No, not that. Never that." He looked away. "I want to be near you…far too much." I stared at him, trying to decipher his expression. Slowly, comprehension dawned on me as I realized he was _embarrassed_.

"Oh…Oh!" I bit my lip, trying hard not to laugh at his obvious discomfort. In the end, I couldn't help but giggle a little. It was just so cute!

Caspian looked at me, aghast. "You think it's funny?"

"N-no," I lied, then lapsed into another fit of giggles. "Okay just a little." I could tell he was even more embarrassed when he let go of me and turned away. "Aw, don't be like that. I think it's cute, that's all!" He flinched. "Not like that!" I threw my arms around his shoulders, still not fully over my giggles, and muffled my laughter against his back before continuing. "I think it's cute that you're all…" I cleared my throat and put on my best Telmarine accent (which wasn't very good at all). "…You must go now before I put my hands in inappropriate places!" I dropped the terrible rendition of his voice and laughed. "It's adorable. I mean, it's not like I would mind if you put your hands in inappropriate places, but the whole old school gentleman thing is totally hot." I stood up on my tiptoes so my mouth was next to his ear, trying hard to contain another fit of giggles. "Makes me want to put my hands in inappropriate places."

I think if he'd been drinking something, it would have been a total spit take. Classic. But since he wasn't in the middle of downing a glass of water, Caspian coughed instead. Hard. Like he was choking on his own spit or something. I think he tried to step forward too, but I was holding on like a vice. My playful demeanor quickly changed to that strange sensation I couldn't place. "Caspian…"I murmured, thrilling to the sound of his name on my own lips. He froze and fell silent. That snake was back in the pit of my stomach, shooting venom like an electrical charge through my veins. Whether my charge was positive or negative, I don't know. All I know is that it was the opposite of Caspian's because I suddenly couldn't get close enough. I turned him around, surprised by how pliable his body was under my hands as I'd seen him stand solidly against much less gentle forces. I traced the features of his face with my fingertip, following the lines I could never recreate with a pencil. He closed his eyes as my touch moved over the curve of his brow and the almond shape of his eyelids. I struggled to keep my breath even as I touched the slope of his nose, the slant of his cheek, the line of his jaw. "Caspian," I whispered. His lips parted slightly under my fingers and I fought to keep control. I failed. Miserably. The venom in my veins had left me completely intoxicated. I mumbled his name again and pressed my lips to his.

Caspian's surprise was evident as he gasped into my mouth. It thrilled me. I wondered if this was how he felt every time he'd caught me by surprise with his kisses. If it was, he had much better self-control than I did. My probing fingers found the hem of his shirt and skimmed over the warm skin beneath. He gasped again, fuel to my fire. I needed to feel him, as much of him as I could before I had to leave. My palms burned against his stomach, my thumb brushing over the soft curls under his bellybutton. His skin was on fire and so was I. Splaying my fingers out, I could feel the strength in the muscle, the unsteady movement of his breathing. I wondered if Caspian could taste my hunger like syrup on my tongue. Bittersweet. He seemed to respond instinctively, his arms moving to capture me in a crushing embrace while my fingers moved over his chest. A moment later he broke away, swallowing hard but keeping me tight against him.

"Don't stop," I breathed, my voice low and husky.

"We should not be doing this," he replied breathlessly.

"I don't care." I kissed his chin, his jaw, his throat. His breathing became even more ragged as my tongue left little cold spots on his skin.

"Isa…bella." I ignored him, kissing his collarbone and wishing his shirt didn't start so soon. I moved back up to his jaw, his ear, pausing with my mouth against the skin just behind his earlobe.

"Please," I murmured. "Please touch me." I wanted to feel his hands on my skin. I wanted his palms to burn like mine were. "Caspian." I wanted to stay. He stepped back, taking my face in his hands. His eyes burned in a way I hadn't seen before.

"I want to," he said firmly, "but I'll not compromise your reputation."

I groaned. "I wish you weren't so good." Caspian smiled and leaned in to offer a much softer kiss as his hands moved over my shoulders and slid down my arms to gently pull my hands out from under his shirt. My fingers were still tingling as he broke away and looked down, his eyebrows pulled together. The music had stopped I don't know how long ago, and the silence was suddenly very loud. "What is it?"

Caspian stepped back, cradling my left hand, palm up, in his right. He ran his free fingers down the exposed underside of my forearm. I looked down at the five round, dark, dime-sized scars, the thick, jagged bit of raised skin a couple of inches from the inside of my elbow. His fingers paused on the large one. He looked sad.

"Paranoia does strange things to people," I said softly. "I thought there was a tracking device in my arm." Caspian stayed silent, his hand moving down to the quintet of smaller scars. "Burns." His attention moved to my other arm. Three little burns on this one, and a figure eight carved into my wrist. He traced it with his fingertip. "Razorblade. It means infinity."

"You did this to yourself?" he asked.

"Yeah."

"You talk about it so lightly."

"If I didn't, I'd still be doing it." He looked up at me but I just shrugged. "Even scars can still hurt sometimes." Caspian brought my arm up and kissed each little burn, then the figure eight, his eyes never leaving mine. He repeated the process with my other arm, then pulled me into an embrace that meant something entirely different from the one we'd shared moments before.

"I wish I could have been there to help you," he said.

"No you don't."

"I do." I felt his lips trace my hairline. "Come. I'll walk you to your room."

It was way too sunny that dreaded morning. I wanted it to rain, heavily. I wanted the sky to fall. My messenger bag was sitting on the end of the bed when I woke up. Someone must have excavated the How and retrieved it. I guess there was a lot of weaponry they didn't want to just leave behind.

Susan had left me another dress. It was much simpler and without stays, making it much easier to put on, which was good because I couldn't find her anywhere and neither she nor Lucy were in their room. There was a pretty white blouse that went under the dark silver paisley-patterned bodice. The blouse was worn off the shoulder like the dress from the night before, and the skirt of the dress was a lovely shade of dark maroon. A split in the middle of the maroon skirt revealed the dark silver under-layer beneath it. I sighed as I looked at myself in the mirror, letting my hair down so it fell in thick, dark curls over my shoulders. Sleeping with it still up had given it a more silken body than the usual frizzy mess. I ran my fingers through it a few times and then went to the little water basin to wash my face.

The sunlight filtering through the lace curtains was maddening. I threw back the white cloth and opened the doors to step out onto the balcony. I leaned on the stone banister and stared longingly towards Shuddering Wood. I wished I could go back to the carefree dancing and talking that had filled the days we'd spent there before the battle. It was sad to know I would most likely never see a day like that again. At least, not here. Not in Narnia. Not with Caspian. I was distracted from my depressing thoughts by a knock on the door. I walked back inside, closing the glass doors behind me, and crossed the rooms to answer.

I was only vaguely surprised to find that it was Caspian.

"There is to be a meeting with the townspeople and Aslan," he said with a smile. "Will you come?"

"Good morning to you, too," I grumbled. "How did you sleep, Iz? Oh, wonderfully, Caspian, and yourself? Good!"

Caspian laughed. "I am sorry. Good morning, Isabella." He took my hand and kissed it. "I trust you slept well?"

"Amazingly," I replied. He didn't fully grasp the sarcastic edge to my voice. I had hardly slept at all.

"Good," he said. "Will you accompany me to alert Aslan of the peoples' gathering and then to the meeting?"

I put on my best fake smile, the one I reserved for people who really knew me, the most convincing and most exhausting one. "Sure, just let me grab my bag." He took a step into the room as I walked over to the bed and slung my bag over my shoulder.

"Oh!" he exclaimed. "Your book. I finished it days ago and I keep forgetting to give it to you. If you'd like I could run and-"

"Keep it," I interrupted.

Caspian looked at me uncertainly as we walked out into the hallway. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah, it's all yours. I know it by heart, anyway." I can buy another copy when I get back, anyway. "Besides, I want you to keep it." Besides, I want you to keep me. "Something to remind you of the wonders of Shakespeare, in case you ever forget." Something to remind you of me, in case you ever forget.

Caspian smiled and laced his fingers through mine. "As you wish." We walked to the courtyard in a silence that may or may not have been awkward. I wasn't really paying attention because I was too caught up in the torment of knowing that this meeting would most likely include my departure. We walked down the stairs, our appearance attracting the attention of Peter, Susan, and Aslan, who were walking with each other and talking solemnly.

"Your Majesty?" Aslan addressed Caspian. I noticed the Lion's eyes move briefly to our entwined hands, then back to his face.

"We're ready," Caspian informed him. "Everyone has assembled."

Aslan nodded and the three of them followed us back up the stairs and down a path into another courtyard where the Telmarines were gathered. We came up onto a little dais sort of thing and the crowd fell silent. I let go of Caspian's hand and stepped back, giving him the stage and hiding my discontent.

"Narnia belongs to the Narnians just as it does to man," he started. "Any Telmarines who want to stay and live in peace are welcome to, but for any of you who wish, Aslan will return you to the home of our forefathers."

There was a flurry of murmuring in the crowd, then a man in the front spoke out. "It's been generations since we left Telmar."

"We're not referring to Telmar," Aslan replied. I stood beside him silently and stared down at my shoes with my shaking hands clasped in front of me. "Your ancestors were sea-fairing brigands, pirates run aground on an island. There, they found a cave; a rare chasm that brought them here from their world- the same world as our Kings and Queens." I saw the four siblings exchange a surprised look out of the corner of my eye. "It is a good place for any who wish to make a new start."

More murmurings passed through the group. Another man's voice carried over the din. "I will go." I looked up through my lashes. It was the Telmarine soldier that had been at the coronation. "I will accept the offer." Caspian nodded and the man came forward through the crowd.

"So will we," said the pretty woman with the baby who had also been at the coronation. She stepped forward with the older man to stand beside the soldier.

"Because you have spoken first, your future in that world shall be good," Aslan said, then breathed on them softly. All this I watched with my head tilted down, but when he turned and I heard a strange cracking behind me, I had to look. I stifled a gasp when I saw that the tree on the edge of the courtyard was slowly twisting and splitting in two, forming a sort of doorway in the middle of it. Surprised shouts came from the Telmarines, but the small group that had stepped up walked calmly forward to pass through the doorway, disappearing into thin air. More cries of shock and some of suspicion followed.

"How do we know he is not leading us to our deaths?" a man called.

"Sire," Reepicheep said, stepping forward. I turned to look at him as Aslan did. "If my example can be of any service, I will take eleven mice through with no delay." The Great Lion turned and looked past me to the four Kings and Queens of Old with a smile. I looked as well, and saw that Peter and Susan were sharing a meaningful glance.

"We'll go," Peter said. He took a step forward.

Edmund was confused. "We will?"

"Come on. Our time's up. After all," the older boy said, walked over to Caspian and holding out his sword, "we're not really needed here anymore."

Caspian wrapped his fingers around the sheath-covered blade. "I will look after it until you return," he said.

"I'm afraid that's just it, we're not coming back," Susan piped up sadly.

"We're not?" Lucy asked.

"You two are," Peter clarified, addressing his two youngest siblings. "At least, I think he means you two." He turned back to face Aslan.

"But why?" The youngest girl was still confused. "Did they do something wrong?"

"Just the opposite, dear one," Aslan replied. "But all things have their time. Your brother and sister have learned all they can from this world. Now it's time for them to live in their own."

"It's all right, Lu," Peter said, moving to stand in front of her. "It's not what I thought it'd be, but it's all right. One day you'll see too." Le gasp! King Peter sounds so mature! I never would have thought it possible! "Come on." He took her hand, and the four of them walked over to bid farewell to Glenstorm, Trufflehunter, and Trumpkin. As Peter shook the centaur's hand, Lucy hugged the dwarf tightly. I couldn't help but smile a little.

Edmund walked over to me. "See you in seventy years?" he asked so only I could hear.

"If you're still around," I replied with a smile, then hugged him. "You know, you were always my favorite." He laughed as he stepped back and I kissed him softly on the cheek. "Mind your manners," I advised, "and don't do anything I wouldn't do."

His cheeks flushed. "That doesn't leave out much." I moved to punch him and he flinched, but I just ruffled his hair with a laugh that he joined before moving away.

Lucy surprised me with a hug around my waist. I wrapped my arms around her and kissed the top of her head fondly. "I'll miss you," she said. I crouched down so we were at eye level. "It was like having another big sister!"

I grinned. "I'll miss you, too. It was like having a little sister who's way smarter than me. I'm sure I'll _really _miss you when I have to do my psychology homework." She smiled and hugged me again and I straightened up to embrace Susan as she came forward. "And I'm sure I'll miss _you _when I have another bad hair day, which will be tomorrow…and the next day…and every day after that."

Susan laughed. "I'll miss you too, when Lucy complains about my messing with her hair. Which will be everyday." It was my turn to laugh as Lucy shouted "Hey!"

As Peter meekly stepped forward, I practically smothered him. "Aw Petey I'll miss you most of all," I crooned.

"Uh, yeah, I'll uh, miss you too," he replied awkwardly. He never did get comfortable with me. I guess I'm a little too loud for his tastes. Oh well. He tried to move away quickly when I let go, but I grabbed him and kissed both his cheeks, leaving them tinged red.

Peter whirled around while I giggled, and lead his siblings towards the tree. My laughter faded when I saw their solemn faces as they waved goodbye and slowly disappeared through the door. I looked down at my hands during the quiet murmuring that followed.

"Your Highness?" Caspian and I both looked up at the sound of Aslan's voice; Caspian because he was used to the title, me because I knew what he was about to say. Caspian turned his eyes to me when he saw that I was the focus of the Lion's gaze. "It's time."

"Time?" Caspian inquired, confused. "Time for what?" The crowd suddenly fell completely silent. I couldn't meet his eyes, but he took a step toward me. "What is he talking about?" I bit my lip, hoping Aslan would explain. He didn't. "Isabella?"

Slowly, I raised my eyes to Caspian's. I wanted to cry, but I did my best to hold back the tears. "I…have to go." My voice cracked, betraying my emotions.

Caspian either didn't get it or didn't want to. "Go where?"

"Home," I practically whispered, gesturing to the tree behind me. "I have to go home, Caspian. I can't stay here." He took another step toward me, the confusion on his face replaced with shocked sadness.

"But why?" His left hand was extended slightly, like he wanted to take mine.

"I have to. This isn't my world." I spread my arms out helplessly, painfully aware of our audience. "I have to go back to my family and friends." Caspian's hand fell to his side and a few wayward tears escaped down my cheeks. "I'm sorry," I whispered. It was so hard to look at the wounded expression on his face, but I couldn't tear my eyes away.

"But…" He dropped Peter's sword and closed the gap between us suddenly, taking my hands in his. "You can't leave."

"I can't stay."

"You have to stay." His voice fell, his eyes pleading. "Please."

"I'm sorry," I repeated, pulling my hands out of his to wipe my face. "But I can't. I can't just abandon my friends…my family." I opened and closed my fists a few times, wanting to reach for him but afraid I wouldn't be able to let go. I settled for taking his hands again. "It's hard for me to leave but I have to go back. Please try to understand, I…" I paused, taking a shaky breath. A few more tears escaped but my eyes never left his. "This is breaking my heart," I whispered. "But it's something that I have to do." I leaned forward to kiss him on the cheek. "Don't forget me, okay?" I stepped back, releasing his hands and turned to walk through the doorway.

"Please don't go," Caspian tried one last time, though I knew from his voice that he was already resigned to my decision.

I looked over my shoulder but towards the ground, unable to will my eyes to look at him again. "I wish I could, but I love them and they…love me." I turned my head away as I spoke and took a step forward.

"But, Isabella, _I _love you too!" Caspian cried desperately. There was a collective gasp from the crowd followed but muttering. I froze, my heart stopping for a moment before picking up at four times the natural speed. Slowly, I swiveled on the ball of my foot and pretty much gaped at him. He was standing with his hands out pleadingly, sincerity written all over his face. Impossible. _Impossible._

It took several heartbeats for me to reply, but even then all my Shakespeare-filled AP English mind could think of was, "_Huh?_"

"I love you," Caspian repeated firmly. So I _had_ heard him right. Holy…

I gaped at him some more, my brain still not fully functioning. "I…did you just…Oh my God." I covered my eyes with my hand. "Oh my _God_."

I didn't hear him coming, but Caspian was suddenly pulling my hand away from my eyes so he could look into them. "I know you think it isn't possible because of how little time I have known you but I don't care." A mosaic of emotions passed over his face. "I don't _care_. It doesn't matter to me how long I have known you because I feel as if I have _always _known you." He took my face in his hands. "So I don't care. I don't care. I love you." I thought of Haybra's words to me before the battle, the ones that I had thought so cheesy at the time. They suddenly didn't seem so dumb.

…_you have always known him_ here.

I touched my chest right over my heart. "_Compositus Animus_," I murmured, spacing out as I remembered her words.

"What?" Caspian asked, confused. "What does that mean."

I met his eyes again, suddenly understanding why I was so attached to him, why it was so hard for me to leave. "It means I love you too." He smiled briefly and then his lips fell to mine. I welcomed his kiss fervently, my arms automatically taking their place around his neck. There was so much in that kiss- joy, love, desperation, need. Caspian ran his fingers through my hair absently as he broke away but pressed a few more little kisses to my lips. I wanted to stay more than ever, but I knew that I couldn't regardless of who loved me. Even if it was Caspian. Even if it broke my heart.

I stepped back, trying to bring myself to tell him that nothing had changed, but he seemed to read it in my expression. He took my hands. "Will I ever see you again?" I looked to Aslan, who I realized had been watching our exchange with fond interest and a knowing smile. Caspian followed my gaze.

"Yes," the Lion said. My heart suddenly felt a thousand times lighter.

"When?" I asked.

"That, I cannot say," he replied. "But for now you must return to your world and set right what is wrong." I nodded, knowing what he meant. In the short time I'd been in Narnia I had learned more than I had in all seventeen years of my life, most of it about love. I won't get too into it because I don't want to sound like a living cliché, but the most important thing I now knew was that love isn't conditional. When I got home, I would tell Dana and Jo all the things I'd been afraid to tell them before. I would tell them all my darkest secrets, and I knew that they would still love me. I knew.

I turned my attention back to Caspian and smiled. "_Parting is such sweet sorrow, that I shall say good night 'til it be morrow_," I said.

Caspian returned my smile as he heard my words. Shaking his head, he skipped back a bit. "_A thousand times the worse, to want thy light. Love goes toward love, as schoolboys from their books, but love from love, toward school with heavy looks._"

I touched his cheek and kissed him one last time, and then turned back to the door. Hesitating, I looked over my shoulder. Caspian was smiling sadly as he watched.

"'_Tis twenty years 'til then_," I said softly, and with one step traveled light-years away.

I knew I would always feel his absence. I knew I would always ache for him.

My stranger. My prince. My Caspian.


	14. Preview: Eclipse of the Stars

**Title:** _Eclipse of the Stars_**  
Summary:** It's been a year since Izzy left Narnia, and this summer Dana and Jo are visiting to try and help alleviate her feelings of being torn apart and, at times, more than a little self-destructive. But the night of their arrival it's pouring rain and, staying true to the usual cliché, the precipitation brings more than just a little mud.

Excerpt from Chapter One: Pretty as a Car Crash

One year. Twelve months. Fifty-two weeks. Three hundred and sixty five and one-quarter days. Eight thousand seven hundred and sixty-six hours. Five hundred and twenty-five thousand, nine hundred and forty-nine minutes. Thirty-one million, five hundred and fifty-six thousand, nine hundred and twenty-six seconds. All of them agonizing.

Ducking down to look through the top of the windshield, I could see the London airport rising in front of the dark clouds rolling in. I was on my way to pick up a little piece of my home. Well, a little piece of my other home. Actually, if you wanted to get real specific, I'd have to say my other, _other_ home. Perhaps I should explain.

One year and three days ago, I fell through my closet door and into an amazing world that I never knew existed. You probably think I'm crazy, right? Well, I'm not. At least, not all the time. I _know_ that Narnia is real and I _know_ that I was there. No amount of therapy or psychoanalysis is about to change my mind. I have to believe it was real. If I can't, my heart will shatter into a million pieces, because if Narnia isn't real that means the one person I ever really, truly, undeniably loved isn't real either. I had to leave him behind, and come back to my own world, and since then I've never felt the same.

I know, I know, everyone suffers heartbreak every once in a while, but this was something more. We share a much stronger bond than some teenage puppy love relationship. He is my _Compositus Animus_, my Matching Soul. The connection we have, which can only be achieved in Narnia, because it's got some weird complicated magic to it and magic doesn't exist in our world, is called _Animus Vinculum_, or Soul Bond. A centaur named Haybra told me that it is the rarest bond two people can have, in which two separate souls are so compatible that they merge together completely.

And so, when I left, it was like ripping one soul in half and not only sending the two pieces in opposite directions, but also putting them in two entirely different worlds. Doesn't that sound terrible? That's because it is.

As soon as I arrived back in the darkness of my closet where almost _no_ time had passed while I was in Narnia, I knew something was wrong. I don't think I really believed what the centaur said until that moment, but there was really no other way to explain why I felt like something was just _missing_.

I won't say that I felt empty, because that's far too generic and cliché. Though, I probably would've preferred feeling empty because when you're empty there's nothing to feel, and what I felt was agonizing. Anyway, I felt more like a glass that was _half _empty (or half full, whichever you prefer- I personally prefer empty). The pain of missing half of your soul is almost unbearable at first, but once whatever half is left has filled the void with a rough outline of what used to be there, it lessens to a dull ache.

Now, it's pretty annoying to have to carry that around with you all the time. It's a constant reminder. Even when you try not to think about it, it's still there. Plus, it was a little foreign. I guess when two souls merge together they mix up, so when it's split there's no telling which pieces were going to who. It was a little comforting, knowing I was carrying little pieces of him around with me, but only a tiny bit. But I made do, did my best to enjoy things, went to school, learned things, ate, slept. The usual. All the while I was wondering when and if I would be going back.

I think the biggest clue that I took some of him home was my increased interest in history. Suddenly, it was my favorite class. I also took up an interest in astrology. When I started at Montclair State University in the fall (back in New Jersey so I could go to school with my best friend, Dana), I'd be majoring in military history and my minor was going to be English literature (in honor of my hero, William Shakespeare), but I also signed up for an astronomy class. Unfortunately, they didn't have a fencing team _or_ club. That was another thing I'd taken up when I came back. Out of nowhere, I really wanted to be able to handle a sword. Maybe I wanted the exorcise. Maybe I wanted him to be proud of me.

_Him_. My stranger. My prince. My Caspian.

I pulled up to the front of the airport in my dad's old, beat up pickup truck with the steering wheel on the wrong side (for England, which was where I was currently residing). Leaving the truck to idle in the drop off/pickup lane, I jumped out (almost getting run over by a taxi) and ran around the hood to embrace my little piece of home- both of them at the same time. My best friends in (this) entire world, Dana and Jo, had spent their well-earned money on plane tickets just so they could come and spend the summer with me. Amazingly, the ache in my chest was overpowered with happiness when I saw them. I knew that if anyone could make me feel better, it would be them. The only other person who could was kind of in a different world, so, there you go.

"Izzy!" they cried in unison as we broke apart.

"Jona!" I yelled in reply, putting their names together. We laughed, and I helped them pile their stuff into the bed of the truck. I pulled the canvas top over their bags and hooked it in place. "I'm so glad you guys are here. I've been feeling kind of Lex-y lately." Lex was the alternate version of myself, the terrible person I become whenever I sink back into my sociopathic tendencies. Before I'd gone to Narnia, they had no idea about my history with the psychiatric system. I was always afraid that they wouldn't love me anymore. I learned a lot about love in Narnia. The first thing I did when I got back was tell them everything via a very tearful three-way phone call.

"Well, we'll just have to kick her ass," Jo said as she slid into the cabin after Dana, who was squished between us in the middle seat. That's the down side of pickup trucks, there's only one seat in the cabin.

"Yeah, yeah." As I pulled away from the curb, I looked up at the clouds again nervously. "Tut tut, looks like rain!"

"Let's hope this hunk 'a junk can handle it," Dana said.

"Six, six, six," was all I said in response. They both laughed, and Jo reached over to turn on the radio. "You're not going to find much. Put a CD in. The case is on the floor." She followed my directions, flipping through the book until she found one that caught her interest and slid it into the player. I groaned. "You've got to be joking."

"Nope!" Jo replied. "I haven't heard this album in a long time."

"It's Good Charlotte," I muttered.

"I like it sometimes!"

"It's Good Charlotte."

"Why do you even have it if you hate it that much?"

"I don't hate it," I replied. "It's my guilty pleasure. I try not to advertise it by playing it in my car." I pulled out of the airport zone and started weaving my way through the twisting streets.

"So roll the windows up!"

"We probably should anyway," Dana said. "It's starting to drizzle." We rolled the windows up, which was quite an experience since we had to do it manually and I was so not taking my hands off the wheel so Dana had to reach across my lap to roll mine up.

"How far away is your place?" Jo asked.

"About two hours," I replied. "Most of which is traveled on dirt roads. I live in the boondocks."

"I want to see John Lennon's grave," Dana said.

"We'll get around to it, but it's already coming down pretty hard and it's almost six. It'll be getting dark soon."

As the drive wore on, we settled into our habit of alternating between conversation and obnoxiously loud karaoke along with the radio. The CD was switched over and over again, so by the time we turned onto the last long stretch of deserted country road the speakers were blasting Superchick.

"Are we there yet?" Jo whined just to be annoying.

"We have like, a half hour drive left," I replied, unfazed.

"Boo. I have to pee and the friggin' rain is making it worse!"

It hadn't stopped pouring the entire drive. I was afraid my poor windshield wipers would snap off and go spinning into the darkness, they were moving so fast. "I have to pee too, but unless you want to go pick a tree in this rain, you're going to have to wait a half an hour."

"Is there even anything to do within a twenty mile radius of your house?" Dana asked.

"We have a pond. My dad had it dredged so it's good for swimming. He even built a dock."

"Sweet. Too bad I didn't bring my bathing suit."

"Neither did I," added Jo.

"You guys are totally useless, you know that?" I asked. I looked over to raise my eyebrows at them. "We can always just go skinny dipping."

"Izzy!" Dana yelled.

"I was just kidding!"

"No! Look!" She grabbed my head and turned it so I was looking through the windshield, and I saw what she was yelling about. A figure, obviously a person, was standing in the middle of the road a few yards ahead.

"Shit!" I screamed, slamming on the brakes. Unfortunately, the road was muddy, so even when the wheels stopped turning the truck kept skidding. My reaction was too late, and all I could do was watch in horror as the front of my truck careened into the person and they disappeared from view. "Oh my God."


End file.
